MOTU: Horde War Book 2, Eternian Trap
by Deltara
Summary: Starship Eternia travels to Phantos to start building an alliance while the Guardian Force investigates what really happened on the planet Eternia. COMPLETE
1. Prologue

BOOK TWO

Eternian Trap

PROLOGUE 

  Horde Battle Fleet

  Unknown Star System

  12 May 2017

   Fighters patrolled the skies while ground forces secured the vast battlefield. Though the fighting had been over for several days, fires continued to burn in places especially among the larger wrecks of warships and heavy armored units. Shocktroopers stood everywhere scanning to area for enemies long gone.

   Through the chaos of searching troopers and humanoid beings sifting through wreckage for clues about what they faced strode the imposing General Rongar. He just completed his tour of the giant pyramid, and aimlessly wandered the battlefield observing the work. Whatever resources it took, General Rongar was determined to discover the exact nature of what destroyed Commander Zarin and his entire force.

   A nervous lizard-like creature with a constantly twitching tail reluctantly approached the general. "General Rongar?"

   Rongar turned his head and regarded the tiny creature coolly. "You have a report?"

   The lizard-man only came to the man's waist in height, and it had to crane its neck back to see the general's face. Hissing, the creature replied, "Yesss, sssir. We have recovered many memory coresss from the robotsss, but it will take time to sssee what'sss on them."

   "Make that your priority. I want to see what we are up against," Rongar ordered then turned away ending the conversation.

   A shocktrooper approached from the direction of the downed destroyer at the southern end of the battlefield. It was the most intact of all the wreckage little the war zone. "My Lord. We have completed a thorough search of the destroyer wreckage."

   "And?"

   "The ship was definitely shot down by some kind of focused anti-proton energy weapon. After the crash there appears to have been a massive electromagnetic pulse surge throughout all systems and robots."

   Rongar stared at the damage warship, thoughtful. "What else?"

   The shocktrooper paused as if organizing its data. "Your suspicions of salvage taken from the wreck, has been confirmed. Though the EM pulse, or whatever it was, wiped out all memory cores from the destroyer's computer down to all the robots there is evidence that several troopers, Shocktroopers, and battle drones were removed." The robot held out an electronic data pad for the general's inspection.

   Rongar accepted the pad and dismissed the shocktrooper. A dozen troopers, shocktroopers, and drones had been taken as salvage. There had been a small amount of Etherium alloy on board the downed destroyer, which was no longer present in its small storage holds. Tons of armor plate, weapons, power cells, and various pieces of equipment also turned up missing.

   _Captain Majourny is doing her homework. In a few months these Earthers will have dozens of ways of killing our ships, troops, and armor units. The massive amount of weapons and equipment taken will allow them to further their programs to reverse engineer our technology for their own production. They will likely even improve upon it,_ Rongar thought as he wandered the field. _None of this really tells me what we're up against. _Eternia_ is power, to be sure. It took out two, maybe even three of Zarin's warships. Standard plasma warheads took out many of the tanks and artillery units. Probably delivered with surface-to-surface rockets. But _what_ could do this kind of damage to the rest? Some new weapon our spies don't know about?_

   "What were you here to find, captain?" Rongar said to himself. "What was so important that you risked your ship and the lives of your crew to travel into uncharted space to recover? I'm on a steep learning curve here. Horde Prime is not forthcoming with information but I can tell he's worried. Worried? No. More like _terrified_." He turned to regard the pyramid half hidden in towering trees from his present position. "What could possibly have been hidden here that could terrify a creature as big and as magically powerful as Horde Prime?"

  Arlington National Cemetery

  United States, Earth

  19 May 2017

   Gunshots shattered the gloomy, overcast skies. Sorceress jumped as the piercing _crack_ caught her off guard. She watched as the Honor Guard smoothly snapped back the bolts on their rifles to chamber the next round. On command, the line of seven smartly dressed Air Force enlisted men and women snapped their second volley, then the third to complete the twenty-one gun salute to fallen heroes. Misting drizzle picked up as _Taps_ made its slow, mournful way through the gathering of family, friends, relatives, and co-workers.

   General Hammond stood at rigid attention crisply saluting the row of eight coffins. The umbrella clutched in his left hand kept the rain off the both of them, but was more for her benefit. To the general's right stood Colonel Jonathon Markson, Captain Hohiro Takamora, Army Sergeant Jake Rockwell, and Air Force Staff Sergeant Adrian Cobretti. All of them resplendent in their dress uniforms, saluting crisply, and holding back their grief by a thin margin.

   When the bugle fell silent and the folding of the flags began, Sorceress took a moment to wipe the tears running down her cheeks. This wasn't her planet. She wasn't born here, yet wondered what she was doing standing in this cemetery wearing a plain black dress with matching boots, and her headdress spell-cast to resemble the long red tresses she had not seen in uncounted years. The answer was simple: she was human. This planet, these people, her friends, adopted her as if she had been born of this world and those eight people being honored today had given their lives so that their comrades, who included her, might live. The remaining formality of handing out the folded flags to surviving family and relatives passed in a faze for Sorceress and her companions. When it was finally complete, the was a brief time of offering condolences to the wives, sisters, cousins, children too young to understand, and two husbands all left the daunting task of carrying on.

   Finally, it was time to leave. A black limo waited to take them to the airport for their flight to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. A short hop from there would bring them back to Cheyenne Mountain. Sorceress entered first with the others following protocol of entering the vehicle in ascending order and exiting in descending order at the airport. She had seen much of the outside world through the device called television, but it just didn't do actually seeing it justice. On the ride to their waiting flight, however, she was more interested in the impressive racks of ribbons each man wore on their dress coats. Though small, but noticeable in groups, those ribbons summed up a person's military career. A lifetime of service reduced to a few rows of colorful bands, but knowing what they meant could speak volumes.

   The five men seated with Sorceress in the back on the plush limo collectively had enough ribbons on display to fill the careers of ten to fifteen people. Thankfully, none of them considered retiring any time soon.

   Forty-five minutes after leaving the cemetery, the group was loaded on board a refurbished, and heavily upgraded, Boeing 747 flying west at thirty-five thousand feet. After reaching cruising altitude, and the pilot signaled it was safe the move around, Colonel Markson and Jake Rockwell made a B-line to the fully stocked bar. Jake set out six shot glasses, filled on with water for Sorceress, and Markson filled the remaining five with whatever the others preferred.

  General Hammond held up his glass and the others followed suit. "To absent friends," he toasted. Everyone echoed his words then all six downed their drinks.

  "Okay, who had the deck of cards?" Hohiro asked. Adrian absently launched a worn package through the air. The twirling box landed on a poker table someone had set up before their return.

   "I don't know about the rest of you, but I've had all I can stand of looking respectable for one day," Colonel Markson grumbled. He unbuttoned his dress coat and began loosening the tie. Jake, Hohiro, Adrian, and even General Hammond agreed.

   As they headed for the back of the jet where the dressing rooms and lavatories were located, Sorceress worked her magic. Arms at shoulder level and eyes closed in concentration, a pale glow surrounded Sorceress as her magic flowed. The glowing nimbus increased until it obscured the beautiful magic-user, then faded as quickly as it appeared. Sorceress changed her outfit from the black ankle-length dress to the same high-heeled black boots with a matching ankle-length black skirt and a lightweight gray turtleneck sweeter. She dropped her arms to her sides with a knowing grin gracing her lips. Curiously, the should-length red hair remained instead of the falcon headdress reappearing.

   Markson snorted, "Show-off," and headed for the dressing rooms.

   Everyone gathered at the poker table thirty minutes later with non-alcoholic drinks in hand. Normally, General Hammond did not accept the open invitation to join Colonel Markson's poker games, but made an exception this time, as did Sorceress. The colonel eyed her skeptically as he shuffled the cards.

   Remembering something Jake once said, Sorceress replied lightly, "Take a picture, colonel, it'll last longer."

   "While I'm glad you are sitting in with us, I have a…how shall I say it…um-"

   "You think I may use my telepathic and empathic abilities to give me an unfair advantage in this…game," Sorceress said pointedly.

   "Colonel, aside from a rather underhanded trip in the very first chess game Sorceress and I played two years ago, I have not won a game since," General Hammond pitched in. "While that alone makes your case, colonel, I have never known Sorceress to lie." He glanced at her before continuing. "Not tell the whole truth on occasion usually for our own protection, but she has never lied. So-"

   Sorceress finished for the general, placing her right hand over her heart, "I pledge I will not use my abilities to garner an unfair advantage in this game. Fair enough?" Markson still looked a little unconvinced. "The magic is a part of me. I can not just turn it off."

   "Good enough for me," Adrian replied.

   "Me, too," Jake added.

   Hohiro nodded.

   Looking slightly mollified, Markson said, "Look, I don't mean to offend you. You've given us so much with the starship and the knowledge, and your commitment to our mission. It's just I don't understand this power of yours. Makes me nervous sometimes."

   That was a difficult admission for him. One he would deny if it were repeated in public. Sorceress knew her magical abilities would make people nervous. On Eternia magic was normal in everyday life. Earth had long ago drifted away from the ways of magic in favor of technological advancement where her world integrated the two.

   Sorceress nodded. "So, are you going to deal those, or just spend the entire flight shuffling?" That was her way of saying 'apology accepted.'

   They got in three games before the 747 landed at Nellis Air Force Base. Sorceress won the first game and very nearly won the third. Not bad for her first time playing the game.


	2. Ch 01

ONE 

  Horde Battleship _Hoscar_

  Deep Space

  20 May 2017

   It took four days to collect all the functioning data chips from shattered robots, physical evidence, and sensor reading from the entire length and breadth of the battlefield. Some of the early results had not been encouraging. One bright spot turned up hours before leaving the moon. An energy signature very similar to those recorded of the enemy suits was discovered in a tiny pyramid approximately fifteen hundred miles northwest of the battlefield.

   Rongar's most trusted aid and friend, Sagan, contacted him about an incredible discovery. Not having the time to see it for himself, Rongar ordered Sagan to take the discovery up to his battleship and he would make time to see it later. That was four days ago. Now Rongar prowled the corridors reviewing the preliminary data as he made his way to Maintenance Bay 4. Horde Prime had give Rongar unprecedented clearance to sift through the highly restricted archives in order to carry his orders to discover what this new enemy was. The results of several days searching massive amounts of data, some of which predated the Horde, produced some shocking, even frightening results.

   The blast doors to Maintenance Bay 4 parted at his approach. There was no activity anywhere in the bay except in the very back behind the repair bays hidden behind tanks, carriers and other vehicles under repair or overhaul. Sagan used his personal authority as Rongar's Second in Command to temporarily suspend all work in the bay. As the general stepped around a partially disassembled tank, Sagan's discovery abruptly came into full view.

   It was a battle suit unlike anything Rongar had ever even remotely heard of. The thing stood ten feet in height painted white with all the joints and hands rendered in black. The helmet clutched in the right hand resembled that worn by Roman Centurions on ancient Earth. The helmet and faceplate were white and the metal wing on top, like the feathered plume of a Centurion commander's helmet, was painted red. Green lenses filled the eye sockets.

   Rongar didn't let his emotionless mask slip on a regular basis, but this was a rare occasion. "Incredible. This looks bigger than the one which attacked Zarin's forces."

   A tall humanoid with ruggedly handsome features stepped out from behind the battle suit. "Isn't it?" he replied, beaming. "From what I have been able to uncover this was supposed to have been the seventh member of a team called Guardians. This suit is bigger by about two feet. It had to be this size in order to maintain its power, but was deemed a little too big. Thus, it was never used. Your physical build should be no problem, maybe even ideal for this particular model."

   Rongar eyed the formidable energy rifle mounted next to the right shoulder. "How powerful is it?"

   Sagan blew out a breath as he speculated. "I'd say once you've mastered this you should easily be able to match that winged suit. These rocket thruster packs mounted at the shoulders will give you frightening speed and agility. The operating system is unlike anything I've ever seen even on drawing boards.

   "My analysis team speculates the same type of operating system is loaded into those enemy suits. Our computers indicate the operators of those enemy suits could not have been human, but you and I both know it was Earthers using them. This would indicate-"

   "-A high degree of adaptability in the suits to conform to the physical and mental structure of the user," Rongar interrupted.

   Sagan nodded. "That can be a tremendous advantage in battle."

   They had already seen the validity of that statement first hand. Rongar reviewed Sagan's notes on this suit as compared to the estimates of the enemy versions. This could give him the edge over all of them provided he was able to master the beast.

   "How soon could you have this ready for trials?" Rongar asked, continuing to review Sagan's notes.

   "Hmm," Sagan murmured rubbing his chin. "It's not as well preserved as those other battle suits seem to have been. The entire power distribution system has to be rebuilt. The thruster packs need refurbishment. That rifle needs careful study and will likely have to be built from scratch. The entire suit is not built from Etherium, but something remarkably similar. Say, three months to do the job right and give you something fully functional to master. Maybe four. Depends on whether or not my crew can be left alone to work at our own pace."

   That was a bold demand on Sagan's part, but Rongar learned early on the man took those chances for a reason. Another commander would likely have had him executed for his bold, often demanding attitude when it came to doing this kind of work. Rongar gave him unprecedented latitude because he was so good at his job. Often times Sagan proved himself right in estimates of work needing to be done, evaluations of weapons potentials, or flaws in a particular system. Rongar took it as his personal responsibility to see to it nothing unfortunate happened to this gifted young man. Challenges like the one before them was exactly the kind Sagan lived for. Sagan's somewhat unorthodox way of doing things was more than made up for in the results he produced.

   "Very well, Sagan," Rongar finally replied. "Whatever you need, you have but to ask."

   "Thank you, sir," Sagan replied. He watched Rongar as the general took his leave to let Sagan's crew get to work for a few moments, and then turned to the motley collection of humanoids, aliens, and even few robots that made up his crew, and set to work.

   Rongar prowled the corridors once more. His thoughts kept returning to the data uncovered in Horde Prime's most highly guarded archives. Those battle suits recovered by the Earthers were still untested to a point. According to his information they had not been in use for more than a few years when Horde Prime arrived. Those warriors enjoyed success after success for about a year before a way was found to destroy them. The method used was almost worse than the Guardians themselves. Horde Prime managed to put the abomination he had created to sleep, but he had created it so well that even he could not destroy it. If that thing should ever awaken…

   Rongar shuddered at the thought. If it could be done once, it could be done again. The battle suit Sagan was about to refurbish would go a long way toward doing that. In the meantime, the potential damage those humans could cause had to be limited as much as possible. To do that Rongar had to think as they did in order to figure out what they were likely to do next. It was a big galaxy, after all. Plenty of places to choose from once they deciphered the data pirated from his ship's computers.

   Returning to his quarters, Rongar reviewed the massive map of the galaxy displayed on a large viewing screen. There were a lot of choices, too many for even the massive Horde armada to cover effectively. The towering man sank into a plush leather chair as he gazed almost blankly at the display, lost in thought as the battleship continued to sail sedately through normal space.

  Area 51

  United States, Earth

  22 May 2017

   General Hammond moved his command from Cheyenne Mountain to the Area 51 facility to be closer to the action, as it were. Someone was promoted to take over the mountain facility, and would have a change of command ceremony in a few weeks. For now, he traveled back and forth.

  Today, he headed up a meeting to get progress reports on crew replacements for the _Eternia_, new troops to bring Colonel Markson's platoons back up to full strength, and medical reports on the injured, and the Guardians.

   In attendance were Colonel Markson, _Eternia_'s Chief Surgeon Doctor Emilio Carter, base infirmary chief Doctor Susan Blanchard, who transferred from Cheyenne Mountain with the general, and Chief Scientist Blain Robards, who was in charge of the research and development wing. Captain Majourny rounded out the list to deliver her report on ship and crew.

   "Thank you all for coming," General Hammond replied. "I know this is a difficult time with the funerals for our fallen comrades, my transfer of command to this facility, acclimating our replacements with this command, and analyzing the technology and data brought back from the mission to find the battle suits. So I won't keep you all any longer than necessary."

   Jo-jo delivered her report first. While the _Eternia_ herself just needed a paint job and extensive repairs to a few critical systems, and numerous sub-systems, the crew did not fair as well. Fifty-seven casualties was the final tally with seven fatalities. Ensign Anderson, the science specialist who manned the sensors during the battle, was badly injured when a punishing assault from a wing of Horde fighters overloaded his equipment. The consoles exploded grazing him with mostly flesh wounds from flying shrapnel. Burned as a result of the brief fires, Anderson came away with second and third degree burns. His current prognosis was cautiously optimistic for a full recovery, but it would be long and painful.

   _Eternia_ was expected to be space-worthy within a month. Jo-jo also expected to have some of the injured back on duty with the worst cases replaced with fresh personnel.

   Colonel Markson's command, however, did not fair nearly as well. One dropship was lost with crew. Two full platoons had been wiped out during the desperate fighting even after the Guardian battle suits had been activated and brought into the fight. The injuries inflicted were polar opposites. Those who survived had merely minor wounds while the serious ones unanimously proved fatal. No in-between.  Filling the ranks would be no easy task when the word got out about what really happened, but the colonel seemed optimistic he could put his command back together with time to spare before the next mission.

   Both Captain Majourny and Colonel Markson looked like death warmed over – twice. General Hammond harbored no illusions it had nothing to do with anything but writing those letters to the next of kin. With so many to write, Jo-jo finished those for her seven dead, and pitched in to assist with the colonel's load without being asked. Together the pair finished the final letter last night, and the strain showed.

   Replacements were coming in, but they were not what one could have hoped for. While many were competent and undoubtedly the best, most were young hotshots who thought they were indestructible. Much like the colonel's troops had been when the _Eternia_ launched on its first mission a few weeks ago, Hammond thought. Now the survivors were seasoned, and well aware of what they had gotten themselves into, and those same survivors had to burst the swelled heads coming into the command any way they could.

   Blain Robards delivered his report on the Guardian armor with all the hype and exuberance of a kid unleashed in the candy store of his dreams. Colonel Markson had to rein the man in to explain his 'techno-babble' in simple terms. Though Markson was quite intelligent, he preferred things put to him simply. Jonathan derived a perverse pleasure from interrupting the techno-geek when he was on a roll causing Blain to stop, gather his thoughts and start again.

   "_Eternia_ held better than expected, all things considered," Robards went on. "The weapons proved more powerful than the simulations predicted."

   "We also got lucky," Jo-jo pointed out. These scientists irritated her because luck was not scientifically provable, so they tended to ignore it.

   "The armor, on the other hand, is…incredibly complex." Robards seemed at a loss for words here. A miracle, considering he could talk one's ear off about anything in his field. "Rebuilding the starship is child's play compared to trying to reverse-engineer those battle suits."

   "Sorceress did indicate magic played heavily in their construction," General Hammond replied. He referred to the after-action reports filed by all six Guardians. "We suspected it based on the information recovered from the starship prior to rebuilding it, and she confirmed it after the battle to recover said armor."

   "Well, the armor does have a kind of rudimentary intelligence that is anything _but_ rudimentary. They act like living beings. You don't just don them and use them in battle. Based on the information we've acquired so far, the operator _interacts_ with the suit." Blain paused to let that fact sink in. "They can be temperamental, too. Adrian's suit still will not let us examine it." Blain shook his head.

   "Has Adrian indicated why his suit won't cooperate?" General Hammond asked.

   Blain scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Something about not having a name."

   "Did it ever occur to you that while it may not be important to you, it is to the artificial intelligence in the suit?" Colonel Markson countered. The look in the scientist's eyes answered his question. "You people never cease to amaze me."

   "It's a _machine_, colonel. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm amazed to hear a confirmed skeptic like you think otherwise," Blain retorted.

   Markson opened his mouth to retaliate, but General Hammond cut him off. "Gentlemen," he replied in his warning tone signaling then to back down. To Blain, he said, "Leave Adrian's armor alone." He held up a hand to stave of the scientist's complaint. "I realize the technological boon each of the suits represents, but we have to be mindful of the intelligences within them; artificial or otherwise. If the suit won't cooperate, and won't allow anyone but Adrian to work on it for the time being, leave it alone." Blain nodded his understanding under the general's penetrating stare.

   Hammond turned his attention to the two doctors. "What is the status of all the Guardians?"

   Carter and Blanchard exchanged glances, and Blanchard cleared her throat. "All six of them have been subjected to a thorough physical exam to include MRI scans. Their brain scans show increased activity probably as a result of the transference from their respective suits. The last scans taken a few hours ago shows the activity settling down, but still elevated when compared to the images taken before they were cleared for space travel."

   "Is there any permanent damage?"

   "That depends on your idea of damage, sir," Doctor Carter supplied. "They now have the knowledge and experiences from people who lives over a thousand years ago. Sorting through it all is just now starting to get easier for them. In time I expect we can, if nothing else, get an insight into what life was like before the Horde."

   "And maybe find a way to stop them?" Colonel Markson suggested, and Carter nodded in agreement.

   Blanchard hesitated a moment before continuing with the down side to this particular part of their brief. "While the Sorceress was healed somewhat by her armor, which is primarily some kind of amplifier for a creature of magic such as her, it appears to be a one-time deal. Already she is starting to show increased degeneration in her nervous system. We _still_ have no idea what's causing it or how to slow it down, much less stop it."

   General Hammond mulled over the obvious dire implications. "She is still convinced she can find something of use in Castle Grayskull?"

   Blanchard nodded.

   The screen on the wall opposite General Hammond came to life. In moments, the image resolved into Hohiro Takamora, Adrian Cobretti, and the Sorceress standing in a bland room. The camera operator caught the trio already in the process of exploring Adrian's metamorphing ability. Sorceress, now dressed in the costume of her position as Guardian of Castle Grayskull, raised her arms spreading the feather cape, and underwent the startling transformation into Zoar the Falcon. Zoar flapped her wings to stay aloft, and darted about the room.

   The hidden camera did not have sound, but it could fallow her movements to a limited degree. It tracked the falcon around the room to where she finally settled on a metal table set near the door. Both men eyed the falcon as it stood serenely and stared back at them. While the observers could see lips move, they could not know what Sorceress told the men telepathically. Adrian stepped away, body language indicating he was attempting something.

   Everyone in the room knew of his transformation during a sparing session with Hohiro using powered down energy sabers. Adrian had been unable to repeat the feat since. Even Sorceress was at a loss to explain why. He should have been able to once the ability manifested. Try as he might, Adrian just couldn't seem to do it again. Hohiro theorized it may only work in the heat of battle, and at the time, Hohiro had pressed pretty hard.

   Zoar launched from the table, and transformed back into her human form. The three discussed the matter further for a minute or two with Adrian becoming agitated. Clearly Adrian disagreed with the Sorceress on what the problem was. Adrian turned away from the pair, and the camera. Hohiro wanted to follow, but Sorceress held up a hand to stop him. She was reading Adrian's body language, which warned her what was coming.

   Moments passed uneventfully when suddenly the young man's form distorted, limbs elongated, and in an instant an alien stood in the space Adrian once occupied. The tail swished back and forth as the monster turned to regard the humans. Translucent lips peeled back from a mouth full of razor teeth. Outer and inner jaws parted followed by a very feline hiss.

   Sorceress nodded in understanding. Where she had to think _change_ or _transformation_ Adrian evidently just had to clear his mind and picture what form he wanted to take. She nodded again and telepathically asked him to take another form.

   A moment of thought preceded another stunning transformation. This form Hohiro found eerie because he'd seen the movie this came from a couple months ago. It turns out Private Frost has an affinity for old 'B' movies, movies whose budgets were not that large, but managed to make something with it. The form Adrian adopted came from a movie called CHUD, an acronym for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dweller. Cords of muscle strung like thick cables wound through the arms and legs. Large glowing green eyes regarded Sorceress stuck in a vaguely reminiscent rat's face. The creature sniffed the air experimentally. Green lips parted revealing yellowed razor teeth, and it approached the woman who stood rooted in place.

   "Amazing," Hohiro breathed. "His sense of smell has been heightened."

   Sorceress nodded. "The alien has speed, agility, and high endurance. This form is strong, not as agile, but has heightened senses like the alien, and can see in ways different from the first form." The woman held her ground as the rat-faced creature approached, sniffing the air.

   Bemused, Hohiro replied, "It appears he likes your scent."

   Trying hard to keep the smile from her face at the attention, she brushed the face away with the back of her left hand. _One more, if you please,_ she sent telepathically.

   Hohiro was familiar with the last form Adrian took. This came from another movie in Frost's collection about a synthesized creature design for fighting in desert conditions. Its weakness was it could be destroyed with water.

   Though she did not care much for monsters, Sorceress raised an eyebrow at this one. Standing a full three feet taller than she, it had an oversized head, box-like jaw full of razor teeth, and a powerful body whose limbs were segmented with armored carapace pieces. The brackish color would allow it to blend into the shadows until it was too late for an enemy to realize it was there. Both jumped as twin bone claws snapped out from under the forearm carapace plates.

   "That wasn't in the movie," Hohiro hissed. The creature chuckled – if it could be called that – and would probably have grinned it that horrid mouth accommodated lips.

   Sorceress moved off to the right as the conference room watched. Though she intended to end this session for the day, Adrian had one last surprise. Sudden gasps echoed in the conference room as the carapace creature shrank to an adult male form. The fire-scarred visage straight out of a nightmare turned directly into the hidden camera. The twisted features of Freddy Kruger grinned at them as he waggled the long razor blades on his right hand in 'Hello.'

   "Okay," Colonel Markson replied recovering his wits. "Now _that's_ creepy."

   "Yeah, but he'd be great at Halloween parties," Blain quipped.

   Markson pegged the man with a look that could kill on contact while General Hammond coughed to cover up a laugh.

   "I though you concealed that camera, Mister Robards," Hammond replied when he got himself in order.

   "I did," the scientist replied defensively. "There is no way he could know it was there."

   "After being 'court-marshaled' for cowardice in the face of the enemy after the battle at Edwards Air Force Base, I'd be a little paranoid, too," Jo-jo supplied. "I guess he just doesn't trust us."

   "Adrian Cobretti doesn't trust anyone," General Hammond supplied. "Just give him time."

   Hammond watched as Adrian approached the Sorceress, now leaning back against the table with arms crossed beneath her breasts, feather cape concealing shapely legs. She held up a warning finger as the man approached, razors poised to strike. Adrian stopped and deflated all at once like a balloon suddenly have its air released, paused long enough to say something, and walked away morphing back to his real self. Sorceress and Hohiro exchanged a brief knowing look.

   _If there is one person who can bring him around, it's Sorceress, _Hammond mused. _I don't know why, but watching these two together just seems _right _somehow. A challenge like Cobretti seems to be good therapy for her as well, yet they avoid each other since returning from their first mission._

   The general shook himself back to the present. He filed the development between Sorceress and Adrian away for another time and got back to finishing the meeting so they could get on with the business of getting ready for their next mission.


	3. Ch 02

TWO 

  Area 51

  United States, Earth

  23 May 2017

   Adrian Cobretti and Jake Rockwell waited outside General Hammond's office. Neither had any clue as to why they had been summoned. The airman sent to fetch them did not know what it was about. General Hammond was currently having a meeting, so they waited rather impatiently outside.

   After thirty minutes of insufferable waiting, the general's commanding voice called out, "Cobretti. Rockwell. Get your butts in here."

   Knowing this wasn't going to be pretty, Adrian turned the doorknob and shoved the door open. He and Jake marched inside and aimed straight for the solid oak desk. A Senior Airman quietly closed the door on her way out behind them. Both men snapped smartly to attention, saluted, and issued their reporting statements.

   "Staff Sergeant Adrian Cobretti reports as ordered."

   "Sergeant Jake Rockwell reports as ordered."

   General Hammond glowered at the pair for a long moment sizing them both up in his humming glare. Both men remained rail-straight, arms locked, and eyes riveted to the bookcase behind their commanding officer. General Hammond let them stew a moment more before returning the salute. Adrian and Jake dropped their salutes, but remained at rigid attention until told otherwise.

   "Gentlemen," Hammond glanced up from the papers in front of him briefly, "and I use that term loosely, it has come to my attention that you two were out of uniform at the memorial ceremony we attended four days ago."

   Neither Jake nor Adrian dared move other than their eyes in a flicker toward one another. The gears began to whirl in their minds. It couldn't be right because both of them had their dress uniforms damn near immaculate for the memorials. For the first time, the pair noticed Colonel Markson standing unobtrusively off the Hammond's left. He looked almost as livid as the general.

   General Hammond was speaking again, snapping their attention back to him. "I find it deplorable that a soldier and airman such as you would dare do such a thing. In your time with this command the two of you have done some incredible things. The success of your mission to retrieve the mystic armor only adds validity to that fact. In fact, your mission turned out so well in spite of the losses in materiel and personnel, the president, with the approval of the Secretary of the Army, and the Secretary of the Air Force, has seen fit to take unprecedented action." General Hammond rose from his comfortable leather chair. Jake and Adrian braced for the worst, though they were more confused than ever.

   "For actions against the enemy resulting in saving the lives of Alpha and Beta squads, and displaying uncommon valor in the face of overwhelming odds at the risk of your own lives, the Secretaries of the Army and Air Force hereby grant the request of President Alexander that Jake Rockwell and Adrian Cobretti be promoted to the next grade with all the honor and responsibility these promotions entail. Both effective immediately."

   Jake and Adrian stared at the man dumbfounded. One minute they were getting their butts chewed for a mythical dress and appearance infraction, and the next they were promoted. The dung-eating grin on Markson's face cinched it. The whole thing had been a setup from the beginning.

   As an Army man himself, Colonel Markson volunteered to award Jake his Staff Sergeant's stripes while General Hammond handed a set of Technical Sergeant stripes to Adrian. Jake looked a little dismayed as he accepted the ranks pins Markson handed him and saluted.

   "What's the matter with you, Jake?" Adrian asked after saluted General Hammond.

   "We're still the same equivalent rank. I rather hoped I'd get to order you around."

   Adrian laughed. "You could try. Not that I would listen to the likes of a Ground Pounder like you."

   "Well, done. Both of you," General Hammond replied. "It's long overdue for you, Cobra, but well-desired."

   As Jake and Adrian turned to leave, both still shaken, Adrian stopped at the door. "Colonel Markson was wrong, sir."

   Hammond's brow wrinkled. "About what?"

   "You can be a sadistic S.O.B. when you put your mind to it, sir."

   The pair left to the sounds of Colonel Markson's stringent denials of ever having said any such thing.

   Elsewhere in the base, a similar scene took place under the direction of Captain Takamora. Alpha and Beta squads were assembled in the barracks area to bid a fond farewell to two of their own. Two who survived their first mission, and who were now moving on to other things.

  "We are gathered here today to pay final farewell to two of our own. Privates Dietrich and Frost distinguished themselves in battle on board a Horde warship, and later in battle on a remote moon. More than that, both are well liked, epitomize the virtues of Army Rangers, and are role models for members of the Guardian Force," Hohiro explained solemnly. "But as we say good bye to Private Frost and Private Dietrich, we welcome our newest members. Corporal Frost and Corporal Dietrich. I hope both will continue to be integral and valued members of their squads, and to the Guardian Force as a whole."

   Hohiro pinned new rank insignia to the lapels of both men, stepped back, and saluted. Frost and Dietrich returned the salute, and a rousing cheer rose as the trio dropped their hands.

   After the round of handshakes and congratulations, Hohiro let it slip that a celebration was being planned at a steakhouse in town. He also mentioned something about promotions for a certain Dynamic Duo by the names of Rockwell and Cobretti. Since everyone had been cooped up on the base upon the _Eternia_'s return, almost everyone was starting to show signs of cabin fever. However, there was no town within an hour's drive they were allowed to go to, so they staged a disappearance to one of the closest towns.

  40 Miles Northeast of Groom Lake

  United States, Earth

  23 May 2017

   Later that afternoon a group of ten people entered a nice restaurant complete with an attached pool hall. The main room had a sunken central floor where the kitchen was located. Multiple levels throughout the remaining space made up the seating areas. Everything in the seating areas was modular to accommodate groups from one person on up to wedding receptions, which were normally held here. The ceiling was mainly composed of thick panes of glass to afford as much natural light to the virtual sea of real plans in the room as possible. At night the overhead lights were lit just enough to give the atmosphere a dusk look while floor lamps illuminated the walkways, and candles flickered on the tables. This allowed customers a fabulous view of a star-filled sky on clear nights.

   The pool hall was no different from the main room except it was not nearly as big while packing in numerous pool tables in a comfortable multi-level layout. Side rooms contained video games.

   After ordering their meals and appetizers, the group adjoined to the poolroom and appropriated a small corner of tables. Antone Frost and Adrian Cobretti started up a game, and Frost quickly realized Cobra wasn't as bad a player as he let on.

   "I thought you said you didn't like this game. That bowling was your preferred game," Frost said, watching with dismay as Adrian downed another solid-colored ball.

   "Yes," he replied, lining up the next shot. "That is indeed what I said." A sharp jab sent the cue ball ricocheting off two bumpers into a collection of striped and solid-colored balls, scattering them. With no solid ones falling into a pocket, Adrian straightened up. "I never said I didn't know how to play." He stepped aside for his opponent to take his turn.

   Frost scanned the table looking for even a passing shot while muttering something about being setup.

   Sorceress, headdress once again magically disguised, and Sonya sat on tall stools waiting their turns. They were playing pairs against Colonel Markson and Captain Takamora. Sorceress picked up the game dynamics first time through, and was assisting Sonya in giving the men a run for their money.

   On the third table in line Jake Rockwell and Jeromy Ironwood played against Brad Johnson and Ferdinand Dietrich. Their game was pretty intense, not so much in the game play, but the jawing. Boasts and taunts riddled the air as they tried to sink the balls. None of them was a good shot so the game dragged on.

   At one point a jawing Jake Rockwell was 'accidentally' poked in the butt by the Sorceress' cue stick as she took her shot. She jabbed him harder by far than the force she imparted to the cue ball. It was obvious Sorceress intentionally fudged the shot just to tone down Jake's current annoying tirade.

   Frost lost his game with Adrian. The guys beat the girls by a narrow margin that could have gone either way right to the end. The last game was nowhere near completion. Such was the state when the waitress for their section arrived to inform them the dinners would be served in a few minutes.

   Everyone was just taking their seats when the appetizers were brought up. This lasted for about ten minutes when the main course was delivered. Idle chat about anything and everything _except_ work floated around the tables, which had been pushed together to make one large table.

   A tall jar in the center of the collected tables contained a few dollars in it. Whenever the subject of work was broached the offender was required to place one dollar in the jar as a penalty. That attempts were made to trick people into broaching that taboo subject went without saying. Sorceress avoided all attempts as best she could, keenly aware that she was the only one at the table who did not earn money.  Naturally, she became a prime target, though any one person was more than willing to throw in the required money in a pinch; not that they were about to let that little secret be known to Sorceress.

   Everyone took their time savoring every ounce of their steak, chicken, or whatever they ordered. No one really wanted the day to end, but that was inevitable. For now, they took full advantage of the time to unwind and relax.

   "Nice place, colonel," Frost replied. "How did you discover this place?"

   "Would you believe I'm psychic?"

   "Bull!" Jake jumped in.

   Markson reconsidered his answer for a moment. "Would you believe the local phone book and a recommendation?"

   "Da," Sonya agreed. "That we would believe."

   "Am I really becoming that predictable?" Jonathan reached for an imitation cigar that was all the rage – no nicotine – and immediately regretted the question.

   Everyone at the table said in unison, "Yes."

   "It's a good thing we're all off duty, or I might have to make some unpleasant job assignments," Jonathan threatened emptily.

   "Us working with you is punishment enough, mate," Jeromy replied, his British accent coming through stronger than usual.

   Chuckles floated around the table. Even Jonathan cracked a smile. Brad suggested taking desert into the pool hall to resume a few games. There were no dissenting votes, so the group picked up their desert plates and made their way back to the pool hall.

   More customers were starting to show up, as it was early evening. Stars were beginning to sparkle in the clear sky and a sliver of moon cast its pale light through the skylights. The hall was still sparsely populated so they had the choice of tables. A few teens played in the video game room.

   Sonya made a face at all the fake cigars that had accompanied them. Thought they were not addictive or harmful without the nicotine, they still smelled like the real thing. "Did the cigars have to come, too?"

   Sorceress stayed conspicuously away from the chimneys as new games ensued. This time Adrian squared off against Hohiro. The one-on-one match turned into a doubles match when Sorceress suggested teaming up with Adrian. So Adrian and Sorceress took on Hohiro and Frost, Jake and Brad took on Jeromy and Dietrich, and Markson and Sonya squared off in a singles match.

   Sorceress and Hohiro were first up with the Sorceress breaking. While she gauged how best to break up the collection of balls, Adrian and Frost stood off to the side sipping cold drinks.

   "Hey, man. Don't sweat people's reactions to you. Like you always say, 'People are stupid.' If you hadn't shown up when you did, Dietrich and I wouldn't be standing here now."

   "Amen to that, brother," Dietrich put in before bending to line up his shot.

   "I'll go into battle with you any day. If you said tomorrow you and I were going to storm the gates of Hell, I'd ask if we should bring along some hotdogs for roasting." Adrian couldn't help smirking at his friend's lighthearted attempt at humor.

   "Thanks. At least a few of you aren't afraid of me and my abilities."

   "That's because we're too stupid to know any better," Jake piped up.

   Sorceress stopped aiming, and straightened to give the man a verbal tongue-lashing. Sonya beat her to it. "Speak for yourself, Ground Pounder. Just because your test scores were not high enough to get you into the Air Force does not mean ya can drag the rest of us down to your level."

   "Sometimes you are a real insult to Army troops everywhere, Rockwell," Colonel Markson fired testily.

   Smiling bravely, Jake replied, "I do my best."

   "That remains to be seen," Sonya muttered to the Sorceress in passing as she resumed aiming.

   Sorceress smacked the cue ball solidly sending it into the triangular grouping with a resounding _crack_. Balls scattered from the outer edges, but a solid core of balls remained relatively intact. However, she did drop one solid color, which set the field of play. Her next shot hit the edge of a corner pocket and ricocheted away. Sorceress stepped aside for Hohiro to scope out a shot at a striped ball.

   "Nice shot," Adrian complimented.

   "Thank you," Sorceress replied, settling on a stool, leaning her cue against the counter, and picking up her discarded plate laden with a generous slice of chocolate cake; a triple-layered piece, which made people gain a pound or two just looking at it. The fork was rising to her lips a second time when she caught Adrian watching. "What?"

   "Nothing," he fibbed, turning back to Hohiro's attempt to drop a striped ball.

   Sorceress lowered the fork. "I know that look. What is on your mind?"

   Knowing she wasn't going to let this go, Adrian replied, "I've just never seen anyone relish some of our food the way you do."

   "We do have such things on Eternia," Sorceress admitted, "but some of the foods are not as rich in flavor as what you might expect. Others are simply exquisite."

   "Sounds like an invitation to find out," Adrian said, liking the idea of sampling food from another planet. If Sorceress' constitution could tolerate Earth food, people from Earth should be able to handle Eternian food.

   Frost returned from the bathroom, and made a Beeline for Colonel Markson. "Colonel, we got problem. I just spotted about a dozen men entering the place"

   "Their called customers, Frost. This _is_ a restaurant, you know," Markson replied in his own dry humor.

   "How many customers have you ever seen come in flashing your picture and asking about you?"

   "That could be a problem," the colonel agreed.

   Dietrich and Jake hustled to the doorway to keep tabs on the group. They had broken up into teams and were systematically searching the seating areas. Two big bookends weighing in at over three hundred pounds of mostly muscle stayed near the door in the event their quarry tried to slip through. Jake suddenly reported losing two of them in the crowd. He searched the area frantically, but could not locate them. The remaining eight were now making their way to the pool hall.

   "Good thing we paid the bill before coming back here," Brad commented.

   "Yeah, but there doesn't seem to be a back door," Hohiro pointed out.

   "Then we go through them," Jake answered cracking his knuckles.

   Sonya rolled her eyes. Sorceress wore a dismayed expression. She wondered who they were and why they were searching for people from the Groom Lake installation. The prospect of a confrontation dismayed her, though the thought that someone may be inciting it dismayed her even more. It meant someone was indeed out to make their mission fail by whatever means available. This had been suspected from the first day, and now it was being confirmed piece by piece. Unfortunately they had absolutely no idea who it was.

   Eight rough-looking men entered the hall walking right past Dietrich and Jake as if they weren't even there. Both trailed behind the group, and the pair Jake lost track of appeared behind him and Dietrich. The eight spread out leaving no avenue open to escape. Two wandered toward Sonya and Sorceress eying the women appreciatively.  The taller of the two with angular features slid up beside Sorceress and wrapped his arm around her waist.

   "If you don't remove that hand from my hip, you will never be able to lift a glass with it again." Sorceress remained very still with both hands resting on the pool cue. Her reflexes had gotten faster in her sparing matches with Hohiro. If this creep tried anything, he'd be in for a shock.

   "Now, now. Let's not be hasty. You don't know what you're missing hanging around with this bunch," the creep whispered in his ear.

   Sorceress caught a whiff of his breath and nearly gagged. "I know a nightmare when I see it."

   A weasel-looking little man about five-foot six inches tall eyed Colonel Markson. "You Markson?"

   Jon raised his chin slightly. "Yeah? What do ya want?"

   "You to stop jeopardizing this planet with your foolish missions," the rat-faced leader said. Jon glanced at the nearest members of his group. "That's right. We know who you are, colonel."

   The mountains, which had been watching the front doors, now squeezed into the room, then closed and locked the door. The advantage Colonel Markson and company may have had now shifted out of their favor.

   "Left me get this straight. You think following us here and beating the stuffing out of us is going to stop us from defending this planet?" Jonathan looked from one member of his group to the next. "Well, this may not have occurred to you, but other will follow us."

   The man with his arm wrapped around the Sorceress sneered, "Not if we stop you Guardians once and for all." He nuzzled Sorceress' cheek. "But not before we have some fun."

   Calling the Guardians even by the general name sent a chill down Markson's spine. These guys were very well informed. It was unlikely they would know who set all this up, but maybe they could shake some tidbit of information loose for General Hammond to work with.

   Before anyone could do or say anything, Sorceress elbowed her tormentor hard in the chest. The blow knocked him back enough for her to whirl and slam stiffened fingers into his solar plexus. Air gusted from his lungs and she snapped her right knee up into the man's groin. His mouth opened in silent agony as he gasped desperately for air to scream. Sorceress caught a fist full of hair as the thug dropped to his knees clutching his violated privates, and slammed his face into the rising right knee. She turned away to resume her previous stance without even having lost her grip on the pool cue.

   The thug sank unconscious to the floor behind her.

   Sonya leaned close and whispered, "You _could_ turn them into toads, you know."

   "Yes, but that would be an insult to toads everywhere," Sorceress whispered back matter-of-factly. The partner of the thug Sorceress just laid out took a vengeful step forward, but Sorceress' challenging stare stopped him in his tracks.

   Rat-face looked around counting faces. "Where is he?"

   "Who?" Markson asked innocently.

   "There is one person missing. I count nine when there should be ten," Rat-face elaborated.

   "A name would be helpful. It's possible he or she didn't come with us."

   "His friends call him Cobra," the thug supplied growing tired of this.

   "Cobra? Don't know any Cobra. How 'bout you, Dietrich? You know any Cobra?" Jake said, totally serious. Dietrich denied having any knowledge of such a person. Both men got clubbed in the back of the head by the walking mountains.

   "I suggest we conclude this expeditiously before my two companions take it upon themselves to finish this matter their way." The weasel stared at Markson daring him to make the next move.

   "That's a big word for you," Dietrich pressed.

   The rat-faced weasel rubbed his goatee. "You like that word?"

   Frost sighed. "Better give it up, colonel. We're dealing with geniuses here." He sidestepped toward the women when the thugs first entered the hall. They would need help once this thing blew up. Sorceress would likely take down the blond, who had taken offense to his partner being beaten down, but the next two looked ready to offer up a beat down of their own.

   "_That_ remains to be seen," Sonya spat, her Russian accent coming on strong when agitated.

   "In the interests of being _expeditious_," Jonathan replied, getting their attention drawn back to him, "I suggest you all just walk on out of here before this gets ugly."

   Rat-face grinned, confident he still held the upper hand. "It's already there."

   Jonathan sighed, screwing his face up in a pained expression. "Yeah, I was afraid you were gonna say something like that."

   A set of silver eyes flashed open above and behind the colonel, and heavy footfalls on the carpet preceded the syngenor that emerged from the shadows. All the hoods became distinctly nervous, now, even the walking mountains.

   "What's the matter, G'vnor? Ya _did_ want to see Cobra, didn't ya?" Jeromy asked.

   "Your move, Rat," Markson dared evenly.

   Sorceress kept an eye on Blondie. If anyone were going to make the first move, he'd be the one. He shifted restlessly from one foot to another in anticipation. He badly wanted to teach her who was boss here.

   She wasn't disappointed. Sorceress casually moved her right hand above the left on the same side of the cue. When Blondie made his move she snapped the cue horizontal with the right hand, slid the left down the stick, and jabbed the butt end of the stick squarely into the man's groin. As he dropped to the carpet, Sorceress stepped into a swing breaking the cue across the punk's temple.

   As her opponent fell, Frost shouted a warning that came too late. Sorceress spun to her right directly into a backhand swing. Sonya snatched up a stool as Sorceress spun to the floor and slammed down on the brown-hair ruffian, who had dropped to the floor straddling her and pinning her arms down. The stool smashed across his head and shoulders punching his lights out.

   Three down.

   Frost intercepted the next thug, but not before he beat Sonya to the carpet. Frost delivered a solid punch to the face cracking the man's left cheekbone. Hohiro watched his back while Frost spun the man around and propelled him into two fists courtesy of Dietrich and Jake.

   Markson closed on Rat-face in the blink of an eye, grabbed the man's raised right wrist and spun him into the burly thug to Rat's right. Brad and Jeromy double-teamed their nearest thug, literally picked him up and threw him into the two men coming to back him up.

   The mountains sidestepped the brawl, eyes never leaving the monstrosity skirting the fight zone to join battle with them. Clearly Adrian and his metamorphing ability made him the most dangerous opponent, which is why they were hired. As the mountains moved both sides got out of their way.

   Mountain One launched himself directly at Adrian, who sidestepped with a quickness the creature's body didn't look capable of. As the bruiser sailed by, Adrian spun and added more momentum with a well-placed shove. He spun again just as Mountain Two roared in with a punch aimed for his chest. Adrian sidestepped to the right once again, but not to evade.

   Fighting around the room paused briefly as the combatants stared at a totally unbelievable site. Not only had Adrian not evaded the punch, he reverted to human form as it zeroed in on him. At the last possible instant, his left hand shot up as he twisted to take the blow through his shoulders as he _caught_ the inbound fist.

   "W-w-what the hell are you?" the mountain demanded, clearly worried.

   The white of his eyes flashing brightly, Adrian replied without any trace of emotion, "Your worst nightmare." With inhuman strength, Adrian applied pressure. The bruiser screamed as bones began popping like popcorn in a hot air popper. Cobra drove his opponent back with a power jab to the breastbone. He spun transforming again into an Alien this time. The tail snapped out to trip up Mountain Two while he turned to deal with a recovered Mountain One.

   Rat's remaining companions were quickly dispatched while he writhed uselessly in Markson's iron grip. Hohiro bent at the waist to his left and snapped his right foot into the stomach of his foe. The man flew backwards colliding with Jake Rockwell, who spun him around and punched his lights out with a savage head butt. Jake and Dietrich knocked Mountain One back to the carpet every time the whimpering mound of muscle struggled to rise.

   Shattered lights swayed above unconscious bruisers sprawled upon several tables. Colonel Markson kept a firm grip on his captive dragging him away from the savage confrontation to come. Jeromy and Brad literally squatted on two dazed thugs to keep them down. Sonya and Frost assisted a dazed Sorceress back to her feet. An angry red welt was already forming on the right cheek.

   It was all over except the fight between Adrian and Mountain One. Bruiser launched at monster, monster intercepted and drove him bodily into the wall with enough force to leave an impression in the drywall. Fear gave way to shear terror as translucent lips peeled back from razor teeth, which parted to reveal the second jaw. This opened and issued a feline hiss. Slimy goo splattered the quivering man's chest. His naked terror only incensed Adrian's desire to, if nothing else, scare the poor sod to death. Mountain snapped his head left and right to avoid the inner jaw as it punched drywall twice. The muscle-bound lump of quivering Jell-o failed to avoid that wicked jaw a third time, and it pinned his head in place; teeth poised to snip off his nose.

   Sorceress made her way across the room threading her way among the battered pool tables. Frost trailed her in case she lost her balance, which she nearly did stepping over several unconscious bodies. The flame-haired woman stepped boldly up to the creature's left and placed a hand on its shoulder. By now that ribbed tail was adding to the bruiser's fear by waving the spiked tip in his field of view.

   "I think you have him scared into submission," she said softly.

   "Oh, I dunno," Colonel Markson countered. "This little fink still doesn't feel like talking."

   Sorceress shot him a glare. "Adrian, let him go. He's not going to do anything. " She stared up into the Mountain's terrified eyes. "Are you?"

   It took a few tries before he finally stammer, "N-n-no."

   The stench of urine was almost overpowering. Sorceress realized for the first time the man's bladder had let go. She convinced Adrian to back off and revert to his human form never once removing her comforting touch. Adrian did so standing a few paces back. He glanced at her not so much to see her face as to see the angry red welt where she'd been struck. The look in those brown eyes was so utterly devoid of emotion Sorceress shivered involuntarily.

   "This guy isn't talking. You got something for him?" Colonel Markson asked.

   Sorceress stepped around Adrian and calmly approached the colonel's defiant prisoner. "If you know all about us, then you are well aware of what I can do."

   Rat-face sneered, "I know it hurts you to use your magic, or whatever it is you do."

   "Do I look like I'm in pain right now?" The look in the man's eyes answered for him. "I can place images so deep in your mind," she continued, "and of such horror only you can see them. Without breaking a sweat I can have you spending the rest of your miserable life screaming at the walls, and restrained lest you claw your own eyes out."

   Rat swallowed hard, Adam's apple bobbing uncertainly as Sorceress gently, almost lovingly, stroked his cheek.

   "Or," she replied, tilting her head over her left shoulder in Adrian's direct, "you can take you chances with him."

   Woefully inaccurate information on the abilities of their intended victims left the weasel with only one course of action, if he wished to survive this disaster.

   Rat-face sang like a bird.


	4. Ch 03

THREE 

  Area 51

  United States, Earth

  25 May 2017

   "Fifty thousand dollars," General Hammond proclaimed. "That's how much your little escapade is going to cost this command."

   "They were sent after us, sir," Colonel Markson replied.

   "You don't have any proof. That man who spilled his guts to you led us to a dead end."

   "Doesn't mean they weren't sent. A lot of people knew at least in general where we were going." General Hammond still looked unconvinced. "All right. How did they know about that – thing – Adrian does?"

   Hammond grew thoughtful. "They knew?" Markson nodded. "The man you brought in didn't look too surprised about Sorceress except that she disguised the head dress."

   Markson raised his eyebrows expectantly.

   "It's immaterial, Jon. I received a call two hours ago from a friend in the FBI. All of those men disappeared. No one knows where they went."

   "C'mon, general. You and I got know they've been neutralized," Markson replied heavily.

   "Which means we press on with our operations despite what you and I may suspect about this incident. I have suspicions same as President Alexander. In fact, I have a bad feeling about where this might eventually lead, but we can't let that distract us." Markson was about to protest, but Hammond cut him off. "You and Captain Majourny handle the missions and leave the worrying about the home front to me."

   "Are you sure that's the way you want it?"

   "No, but other choice do we have? Forget about the incident. President Alexander has given us our next mission," General Hammond explained.

   Colonel Markson took a seat at the conference table. "Is this one going to be more fun than the first mission?"

   "Depends on your point of view. This mission has two objectives," Hammond explained, opening a folder and sliding it over to Markson. "Your mission is to insert two platoons to the target planet and scout out the situation while the _Eternia_ goes to Phantos to look into the Horde suspicions that Queen Elmora is secretly building a battle fleet. Officially, Captain Majourny will going there seeking an alliance."

   Markson nodded in agreement. "Who gets to play ambassador?"

  "Well, you are in a prime position, colonel. You get to decide who goes to the target planet for the recon mission. If you go, Jo-jo plays ambassador. If you don't go, you get the job."

   "Adrian was right," Markson murmured.

   "You said something?"

   "This target planet got a name?"

   "Eternia. Sorceress believes she may find a cure in Castle Grayskull. She'll get the chance to find out. In the meantime, we need a read on the situation there. According to the records copied from General Rongar's ship, the fleet that came here two years ago did indeed leave to put down He-man's insurrection. We need to know what happened. There may be allies we can make. We're going to need them if we are to survive this war."

   Colonel Markson couldn't disagree with that. The question is, if there are any allies to be hand on Eternia and elsewhere, would they be of a mind to take a chance on rising up against the Horde once again?

   Gabriel 'Gabe' Burns loved his job. As far as he was concerned, he had the best job in the country. Where else on the planet could one have a near limitless budget to tinker, toy, and bring creations to life? Right now Corporals Dietrich and Frost were out on the firing range trying out the new sniper rifles that would replace their tried and true Barrett Light 50. Cabe had a hand in developing the multifunction scope for the weapon. It would allow the shooter to see not only in the usual settings of daylight, starlight, and thermo setting, Cabe also worked in settings for varying the light wavelengths through the scope, the shooter could now 'see' the energy signatures of the various robots used by the Horde.

   Thanks to the Guardian Force, Cabe's team now had examples of all the known robots models currently in service. The battle drones where proving to be unmitigated nightmares. It was no wonder Colonel Markson's platoons took so much damage. Cabe's task was to develop new weapons and systems to counter this new threat.

   Adrian Cobretti, Jake Rockwell, and Sorceress entered the cavernous laboratory easily the size of the _Eternia_'s underground hangar. Dropships hung from ceiling cranes or squatted on landing struts in one corner. Weapons development took place in another section. Electronic systems development and upgrade went on in still another section. People were everywhere coming and going. A few paused long enough to take note of the visitors before returning to their tasks.

   It didn't take the trio long to spot their power armor standing alone in a cordoned off section. Only a select few Cabe personally trusted where allowed near the suits. If the artificial intelligences within the suits approved, the people stayed to work on them. Panels were open on all six with some of the internal components organized on tables in front of each suit.

   "Well, look what the cat dragged in," Nicholas 'Nick' Jackson drawled from behind the trio.

   "Nick! How long you been stalking us, you old swine?" Adrian snarled, grinning.

   "Long enough. Good to see you all again." Nick Jackson matched Jake in height with a touch of gray to his receding brown hair, and the beginnings of a beer gut he was trying to unload. He shook hands all around when Gabriel Burns finally spotted them.

   "Adrian!" the short black man exclaimed hurrying over to greet his favorite close friends. Though he was only several inches shorter than those gathered around him, Gabe more than made up for it in personality.

   The first warm smile Sorceress ever remembered seeing on Adrian's face blossomed and the two pumped one another's hand in a fierce handshake. "How's my favorite mad scientist?"

   "Enduring, Adrian, enduring." His bright eyes shifted to Sorceress. "You are looking as radiant and healthy as ever."

   "Hello, Gabe," Sorceress replied warmly, enfolding the man in a comforting embrace.

   "Don't give up. Though the energies from your armor work only once, we'll find a way to cure you once and for all," Cabe promised. He'd been making that promise to her for almost a year. The ability of her Falcon armor to restore her, even only one time, gave Sorceress hope that they may yet find a way to undo whatever it was that had been done to her.

   "Looks like you people have been having your way with our suits," Jake observed, looking over the tables littered with parts in various stages of repair.

   Gabe nodded. "These suits are simply fascinating. They are easily as complex as the _Eternia_ herself, if not more so." He led the way into the roped off area. "At first, I thought we would have a hard time simply figuring out how they function. Some of the systems are still a mystery, but repairing the damaged components isn't any harder than those of the _Eternia_, though on a much smaller scale."

   "Gabe, you sound as though these suits aren't much different from the _Eternia_," Nick replied, examining several pieces removed from Sonya's Hawk armor for repair.

   "Oh, no. They are very different. Repairing the technology is not." Gabe walked over to Adrian's as yet unnamed armor. "You were right about your suit taking a liking to me, Adrian. Seems I am the only person allowed to physically touch him. Once the components are removed, he seems to trust the judgment of the other suits as to who should do the repairs."

   Adrian smirked. "Must be driving Robards crazy."

   "Indeed," Gabe agreed. "Despite the many years of inactivity they are all remarkably well preserved. All the repairs are minor things that could become more serious if not corrected." 

   Nick groaned lightly, "He's got that love light in his eyes again. He'll be lost once leave on your next mission."

   "I may just stow away just so I can see them in action."

   "Jo-jo would just love that."

   "Anyone know what that next mission is?" Jake asked, not really expecting either Gabe or Nick to know.

   Both men shook their heads. "Rumor has it that it has two objectives. I wouldn't worry about it too much, Jake. General Hammond will tell you when the time comes."

   "In the meantime," Gabe spoke up, diverting this train of thought. "I have a new toy that has Jake's and Adrian's names written all over it."

   Gabe led the group away from the power armor; Sorceress, Jake, and especially Adrian taking one long last look at their weapons of war, then followed the energetic scientist. The group threaded their way through the organized chaos of testing and evaluations to another roped off section about fifty yards from the power armor. The only thing visible in the gloomy corner was vague outlines that appeared somehow familiar to Jake and Adrian.

   "You guys are gonna love this," Gabe promised. He stepped up to a portable control podium and examined the switches.

   "So what have you got for us, Gabe?" Adrian asked with an unusual amount of enthusiasm. Unusual for the normal Adrian Cobretti, that is.

   Cabe flipped several switches that activated powerful banks of lights suspended from the ceiling. Caught in the blinding white glare sat the most unorthodox vehicle yet devised by Man. Jake and Adrian recognized the design immediately. Based on the chassis of an Apache helicopter, a new weapon of war had been created. Twice the size of the Apache base chassis chopped off just past the engine mounts, the vehicle sat on eight wheels situated on four axles; two near the rear and two under the gunner's cockpit. The winglets lay folded flat against the sides in what appeared to be a cruising configuration. Though painted a slate gray, the machine had that lethal appearance a battle looking for a place to happen.

   Adrian started, "Oh, my –"

   "- God," Jake finished. "What is _that_?"

   "That is an assault vehicle from Hell," Adrian replied, not attempting to hide his awe. "Care to join me?" He took note Jake's shocked expression. Even Sorceress was impressed, if only by these people's ingenuity for doing the unexpected.

   Cabe ran down the stats of the war machine, as the group looked it over. "The armor is a full half-inch thick. The remaining Etherium alloy we had went into constructing the engine bay at the rear for the fusion core. With that kind of power at your disposal there is very little you can't do, except fly. The armor is covered with bullet and laser-proof glazing all around."

   Jake and Adrian opened the latches and pulled open the canopy hatches on the right side. Jake climbed into the forward seat, the gunner's station. Adrian settled into the driver's seat above and behind. Cabe climbed up on the wheel well and explained the controls.

   Sorceress and Nick listened with feigned interest. There was no doubt this machine would prove useful in the fight against the Horde. Nick was too old to be going into the field, though his spirit often wished it were otherwise. Sorceress, on the other hand, simply had no use for mechanical weapons. Magic was her weapon. One she could control a lot easier than these machines, and thereby avoid killing sentient beings that much better.

   "Are you serious?" Jake exclaimed, aghast. "Materialization equipment? That's pure science fiction."

   "Not so, my friend," Gabe replied calmly. "It is now science fact. Instead of cramming a limited amount of explosive ordinance into the guts of this thing, we adapted the energy materialization equipment found in the _Eternia_. As long as the vehicle has power and the weapons systems are functional, you can call up whatever ballistic ordinance suits your fancy. The schematics and chemical compositions are stored in a second computer core that operations the materialization functions. The pods are attached to the wings before they are deployed. And you program in weapons configurations so you don't have to waste time setting it up during battle."

   "So the effective payload is practically unlimited," Jake said, extremely impressed. This was ever soldiers dream.

   "Now that's pain," Adrian agreed.

   "Boys," Sorceress interrupted. "If you really want to know what pain is, carry a nine pound bowling ball around for nine months, then give birth to it by spending twelve hours in labor and trying to squeeze it out an orifice one third the size of what is passing through. _That_ is pain." She walked away to explore the other parts of the vast chamber without another word.

   Three dumbfounded humans stared in her wake. "Did she just say-" Nick began.

   "Yes, she did," a sober Jake Rockwell finished for him.

   Had anyone looked, they would have seen Adrian hugging himself, eyes squeezed shut, and tears rolling down his cheeks. One might have mistakenly thought he was in some sort of pain. He wasn't.

   Adrian was quietly laughing his ass off!

  New York City,

  World Government Headquarters,

  United States, Earth

  25 May 2017

   "You idiots!" President Roshenko sputtered at the man sitting in shadow in his office, and the similarly shadowed man on him desktop communication screen. "You told me they were the best you could fine. _FAH!_ They got taken down quickly enough. And their leader squealed like a stuck pig."

   "Calm down," the man in the office replied soothingly. "General Hammond can't link anything back to you. We're safe and our plans are still on schedule."

   "This time. Hammond and President Alexander know I want the Guardian Force disbanded," Roshenko pointed out. "You'll never get near them now."

   "Why not?" the shadow on the monitor asked.

   Roshenko's quick temper flared like a nova. "Because they're _looking_ for it! You moron. If those idiots had done their job instead of playing word games we would be having this discussion."

   "They did not know anything that could eventually lead General Hammond back to use. Those thugs have been liquidated as a precaution," the shadows across the desk replied. "Let's turn our attention toward the future. Once the Guardian Force is off on their next mission we can continue our work here."

   The World President leaned back in his plush leather chair and let his gaze wander over the sparse amenities of his office. "How ironic it is that you are in this particular endeavor."

   The shadowed man grew cautious. This man may behave like a simpleton, but he was the most powerful simpleton on the planet. "What do you mean?"

   "Adrian Cobretti is court-marshaled for cowardice in the face of the enemy, though he brought the weapons that began turning the tide in our favor. Now he is one of those armored warriors with a shame trial long forgotten," the president mused. The shadows remained quiet while the tension increased. "Cobretti gets put on trial for _your_ sins, my friend. It was your cowardice that nearly lost the day. And now here you are about bind yourself to our noble endeavor heart and soul."

   "That is ancient history."

   "Ah, but history is replete with history repeating itself. Make no mistake, gentlemen. If what we are about to do ever makes it to the light of day before things progress past the point of no return, the trial we face will be expedient and end with a gunshot or a laser blast." Roshenko paused long enough to let that sink in. His meaning was very clear. No more distractions. If the Guardian Force should meddle in their affairs, it would be dealt with at that time.

   "Now, what is the status of our Middle East operation?"

   The man on the monitor reported, "Things are moving a little slower than expected, but once the Guardian Force leaves, I see no reason to step up our operation. With Hammond and Alexander focusing on what their people are doing out there, we can move things along here as long as we are careful."

   "Very well. Just remember to cover your tracks," Roshenko reminded the men sternly. _And when the time comes both of you will be taken care of_, he thought smugly.


	5. Ch 04

FOUR 

 Guardian Command

  Area 51

  29 May 2017

  LAUNCH MINUS THREE DAYS

   New recruits trickled in to fill the ranks of both the decimated platoons and the starship crew. All knew what they were getting into, but a few braggarts persisted despite the intense footage of the Force's first desperate battle. Colonel Markson's misgivings about the coming mission were amplified by the same concerns held by Captain Takamora and the Guardians. The only real way those few would learn would be the hard way, which usually ended terminally.

   Hohiro ran the new people through the proverbial wringer. A few decided transferring to the base security detachment, or out of the command altogether was the better part of valor. Many of those who stayed felt that the mission was important, and could accept the fact that they might not return from it. As did those who were too stupid to realize this was not going to be a picnic, though they treated the assignment as such. It was those people Hohiro found it very hard to come up with a good excuse to transfer out of the command.

   Captain Takamora shared his misgivings about those select few to Colonel Markson and General Hammond at the earliest opportunity. The result was they would place those people in places where they could learn the hard reality of the war they were fighting without getting killed so they could pass that knowledge on to many who would follow.

   Jonathon decided to take General Hammond up on his offer to lead the mission to Eternia, thereby saddling Captain Majourny with the diplomatic mission to Phantos. She had a few rather choice words on the subject that would curdle fresh milk.

   "I have my share of undesirables and you want to throw a diplomatic mission on top of that?" Jo-jo said, flabbergasted. "A full ambassador would be better equipped to handle this than me."

   Hammond agreed, "True. But a full ambassador wouldn't be privy to our suspicions. Or have the maneuvering room to negotiate off the record."

   "Come again?"

   "The Horde suspects Queen Elmora is building her own private army, but they have never been able to infiltrate far enough to find out," the general elaborated. "Maybe she will drop some information to us off the record."

   "Or maybe she'll think of us as nothing more than inferior savages not even worthy of her contempt," Jo-jo suggested grimly.

   "Either way we need allies if we are to have any chance of surviving this war, much les winning it," General Hammond pointed out.

   "Winning? One planet against an empire? Getting a little ambitious, aren't we?" Markson replied.

   "Some of those Japanese animation movies and series Adrian is so fond of are replete with individuals and small groups surviving against incredible odds. In a way we aren't too different from that. It isn't a matter of how technologically advanced we are, it's how we adapt and persevere," Hammond explained at length. "Sorceress told me once the way we learn and adapt is our greatest advantage."

   Markson smiled wryly. "A healthy dose of luck isn't bad, either."

   "Whatever personnel problems you have will have to be worked out along the way." Hammond held up a hand to forestall counter arguments form Jo-jo and Jonathon. "I have no doubt the deck is being stacked against us. I'm doing all I can to minimize that. We'll just have to make do. Now, let's have a look at those maps and star charts…"

   Andre Wardman wondered the silent corridors of the starship _Eternia_ sullen and depressed. The beating administered by Harris and his army cronies was still evident in the angry bruising on his face and ribs. When questioned about the incident, he would say only that he fell. No one truly believed his story, but since he stubbornly stuck to it, Lieutenant Denton could not investigate further. Much as Andre would like to have let the lieutenant do his thing, but this was Andre's problem and he would handle it his way.

   Even if it killed him.

   As Wardman drifted through the deserted corridors, his ears picked up faint humming sounds coming from somewhere ahead. Curious, the ensign began following them. He had to pause now and again to listen. He almost lost the trail twice. Finally, Andre found himself standing before the open doors to the drop bays. The humming sounds punctuated by angry electrical clashes were now quite clear. Cautiously, the ensign stepped inside.

   The drop bay was the single largest area of the starship save the engine room. Four dropships squatted in their parking slots over closed hatches where the ships would be lowered into the drop bays by heavy overhead lifting arms. The humming and clashing came from the center of the chamber where there was the most space in which to work.

   Hohiro and Adrian were engaged in one of their midnight 'workouts' with other members of the Guardian Force in attendance. Andre maneuvered for a clear view of the dual battling one another with powered-down energy sabers. Adrian wielded twin weapons to the short, stout Japanese captain's one. Each moved with grace, hand, eye, and reflex with very little thought. Attack. Defense. Advance. Retreat. The exercise appeared more like a well-choreographed ballet, and less like honing deadly combat skills.

   As always, Hohiro found a way to back his younger opponent into a corner. As usual, Adrian resorted – reluctantly – to his morphing ability to get out of it. Everyone knew Hohiro did it on purpose in an attempt to get Adrian to begin accepting his newfound abilities. Adrian started a climb up the landing strut of a dropship to flip away over Hohiro's head. What landed behind the Japanese warrior, however, was something straight out of Hell, and an Earth 'B' movie.

   Andre gasped in shock as the CHUD landed lightly despite its bulky size still gripping the sabers. He had heard about this ability, but that was a far cry from actually seeing it in action. Human and creature traded a few more blows when the walking horror suddenly stopped. It sniffed the air sampling some new odor that had not been there before. Andre jumped again as the creature twisted and nailed him with bright glowing green eyes. Yellowed razor teeth parted and a guttural growl issued forth.

   Hohiro stepped forward, closed down his saber, and placed a hand on Adrian's elbow. It was his silent request to stop frightening the young man. Adrian complied by closing down his sabers and became human again.

   "Don't be a stranger Ensign –" Hohiro searched his memory for the kid's name.

   "Wardman," Andre supplied, shock painted across his face. "Andre Wardman."

   "Well, Wardman, Andre Wardman," Hohiro replied with a light, friendly smile, "Please join us."

   Trying to look friendly, Frost piped in, "Contrary to popular opinion, we don't bar anyone from attending."

   Wardman stared at Adrian as if he were some sort of pariah. "It's true," he whispered, shock and awe at war with one another on his features.

   Frost looked from the stunned ensign to Adrian, and back. "Yes, it is. Didn't your momma ever teach you staring was rude?" the ebony-skinned man replied gently.

   Wardman shook himself out of his funk. "I'm sorry. I heard the rumors, but never expected-" he broke off abruptly.

   Eyes narrowed, Hohiro took a closer look at his young visitor. "Looks like you've had a bit of trouble."

   Andre's face flushed with embarrassment. "I had an accident."

   "This 'accident' wouldn't happen to go by the name of Leroy Harris, would it?" One of the former Marines inquired. Another man cursed, for Andre's silence was answer enough.

   To augment Lieutenant Denton's security force, a detachment of Marines had been formed and assigned on board ship. They were trained in every art of close-quarters combat, in the event an enemy force ever boarded the ship. Unfortunately, Harris was among them. Equally unfortunate was his good abilities at what he did. Pinning anything on him proved difficult because his terror tactics were so good, no one dared rat him out.

   "Look, man," Frost replied. "If you can finger that scumbag, you have a duty to report it. The only way to get rid of him is to say something to Lieutenant Denton. Let him and the captain take it from there."

   Andre's jaw worked, but nothing came out. Clearly, he wanted to, but his fear of reprisal from Harris stole his voice. "I can't."

   "Maybe there is another way," Hohiro mused aloud.

   Adrian Cobretti snuck away while the others discussed the Leroy Harris problem. The training session was over, regardless of the outcome of the discussion. As he left the ship via the starboard aft boarding ladder, Adrian sensed a presence moments before the person revealed himself.

   "I thought I'd find you skulking about at this hour," a familiar annoying voice replied smugly.

   "I thought General Hammond barred you from even entering his command again, Simmons."

   "Oh, he did. But that was Cheyenne Mountain. I have the necessary clearances and authority to be here despite Hammond's objections." Simmons flashed his smug little triumphant smile. The tall, lanky intelligence officer stepped from the shadows near the exit into the main base. "Besides, I'm just doing my duty."

   "Like you did when the Sorceress first arrived to our system?" Adrian spat. "Was that duty? Or some kind of perverse pleasure? "

   "I always take pleasure in my work. I can't be held responsible for the opinion of others." Simmons studied the Guardian closely. "You know, there is something I have been wondering since you got back."

   Without missing a beat, Adrian shot back, "How long you can survive without a personality?"

   The colonel smiled politely. "I see your sense of humor still thrives. No. I was wondering when you were going to make good on your promise to kill me."

   Adrian stopped at the hatch leading into the underground base. "I'm tired, and you aren't worth the effort or bother." Simmons thought that would be the end of it, but Adrian caught the taller man by the collar. "But if you threaten or mistreat the Sorceress in any way, I promise you there is no place in this galaxy where you can hide that I cannot find you."

   Though Adrian spoke quietly, and almost politely, Simmons knew without a doubt the man meant every word of it. The really unnerving part was General Hammond and Colonel Markson would not only help Adrian, but they would probably sell tickets to the event. One misstep would cost him dearly.

   Adrian left the shaken man to ponder just what he would do from here on out.

  Palace Eternia

  Planet Eternia

  30 May 2017

  LAUNCH MINUS TWO DAYS

   The hunting party returned to the once fabulous Palace Eternia toting many prey for the feast. The snake army must remain fed, after all. King Hiss' core group of minions was no exception. As lesser snake minions and shocktroopers took the pitiful bedraggled prisoners away to the dungeons to await their grim fate, King Hiss, General Rattlor, and Snake Face entered the Royal Hall, now known as Snake Hall.

   Much of the palace remained as it was when King Randor and the Masters resided here, but when the damaged areas had been repaired, a little facelift had been wrought. The gear tooth look to the hall had been retained and had the added touch of darker paint. In fact, the entire palace had a darker look to it. Statues of King Hiss and his loyal core group of minions littered the assembly square. All humans and their markets had been summarily evicted from the palace to make room for the snake army.

   A smaller troop center lay deep in the heart of the mountain for the Horde robots. Factories, assembly, and maintenance bays took up three full underground levels. The lowest level, Sub-level Four, had been remodeled into an extensive dungeon and torture center. This was the fate of the captured humans, many of whom would be fodder for the snakes.

   Hiss, General Rattlor, and Snake Face entered the remodeled throne room. At the opposite end stood an ornate throne sitting in the open mouth of a cobra with hood and fangs bared. Once there stood two rather plain thrones there for the king and queen of Eternia. Now it was the throne of the Snake Empire.

   Colored in mottled pink, purple, and shades of yellow and a smattering of earth tones, General Rattlor towered over all snake men, even King Hiss. Only that of his master surpassed his savagery and cunning in battle. Rattlor stared down the slight, green and gold colored Kobra Khan as he shuffled forward.

   Hiss settled into his throne as Kobra Khan prostrated himself at his master's feet. "Dread Lord, the commander of the Horde Fifth Battle Fleet wished communication with you. I told him you were out hunting, but he would speak only to you."

   Hiss' baleful eyes regarded the prostrate serpent briefly. _Fifth Fleet. General Rongar's command,_ he thought emotionlessly. _What could he possibly want? Horde Prime knows this is my dominion._ "Very well," King Hiss replied, eyes as cold and devoid of emotion as a shark's, until he strikes.

   Kobra Khan rose from the floor and hurried to the communication panel. In moments, the rugged features of a human resolved in the air before the snake ruler.

   "I don't enjoy being kept waiting. I have things to do that are just as important as yours, Hiss," General Rongar said without preamble.

   "What do you want, Rongar," King Hiss snarled, returning the favor of dropping rank.

   "To warn you of a threat I believe may be heading your direction." Rongar paused to look at something out of view. "The humans on Earth are more resourceful than we thought. Their starship is more powerful than first projected. They have retrieved powerful suits of armor that could be a major threat to the empire," the general explained succinctly.

   Hiss scoffed. "One ship against the entire might of the Horde Empire? Unlikely. Even if they are as powerful as you say, and even if they do come here, they would be foolish to do so. You can overwhelm them with your ships. Do not trouble me with such petty concerns."

   Rongar struggled to control his temper. _Impotent snake,_ he seethed inwardly. "Don't get too cocky, King Hiss. If you thought He-Man and She-Ra were something, wait until you see these humans in action."

   Hiss made a disdainful face. "He-Man is gone! She-Ra is gone! No one returns from where they are. The Masters of the Universe are no more. What can one starship, or one planet, do against the _Mighty Horde_? And how can you be so sure they will come here?"

   "I have been studying them. How they think and act," Rongar supplied.

   "In other words, you have a spy among them," General Rattlor surmised.

   Rongar replied deadpan, "Got it in one, Rattlor."

   "I grow tired of your continued insulting of our intelligence. We'll see how cocky you are when we meet face to face, human," Rattlor spat, flicking his tongue.

   "You name the time, I'll name the place," Rongar promised, smiling wickedly.

   "_Enough_!" King Hiss roared. "If these humans are foolish enough to come here, we shall greet them warmly.

   "You are a fool, Hiss, and it will be your undoing. Since you seem intent upon learning the hard way, so be it. Maybe the Sorceress can knock some sense into you," General Rongar spat. The comm screen dissolved when the connection was broken on the other end.

   A gasp at the mention of the Sorceress rose from somewhere to King Hiss' left. It originated from a tall, striking woman clad in a white, short-skirted outfit, gold belt with carved leaves dangling from the bottom edge all around, high-heeled red boots capped with white fur, and wore a brick red armored snake vest reminiscent of a cobra, protected her chest and head. She tried to hide her reaction, but her mask slipped just a bit.

   "Do not worry, my dear Teela. If the Sorceress does still exist, she is trapped in the form of a falcon. She is of no consequence," the snake king replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.

   "Don't be too hasty, King Hiss," a throaty, seductive voice purred from the shadows. "I have been working my magic to discover what this threat is ever since the first rumors surfaced five days ago."

   "And what have you discovered, faithful Evil-Lyn?"

   "Not much beyond the fact that there may be some truth to what Rongar speaks." Evil-Lyn stepped into the light. She had changed her outfit some years back to something more elaborate and lively, though in a dark sort of way. Sharper and more defined, the purple and black outfit mixed with white bones to accent her assets; the whole effect said 'beautiful, but deadly.'

   "If these humans are foolish enough to come here, we will destroy them." Hiss turned his blank stare on his wife. "And you, dear Teela, will have a falcon for a pet." Teela looked away, unable to meet the serpent's stare for long. King Hiss' throaty laughter echoed throughout the throne room.

  Snake Mountain

  Planet Eternia

  30 May 2017

  LAUNCH MINUS TWO DAYS

   "They will be coming, Keldor. You know it. I know it," the weatherworn man clad in non-descript clothes standing several meters from the throne of Snake Mountain replied. Where he had once been muscled and sculpted without being fat many years ago, the muscle had now faded into a slight bulging belly. Gray now streaked slightly thinned hair that had once been full and vibrantly brown. Valley-like age lines around the eyes and toughened skin resembled that of a man who had spent a lifetime at sea.

   "How many times do I have to tell you that name has no meaning for me?" Skeletor sighed. He lounged on his lonely bone throne clad in the reignments of his new look. Wrapped all in black leather concealing a muscled frame, velvet cape and hood draped across broad shoulders and bleached skull, and black leather gloves tipped with silver adorned talon hands. Absent from the picture were the rams head Havoc staff, sculpted breastplate, and sword belt. "Yes, they are going to come here, and King Hiss will destroy them. Don't get too hopeful, old friend. Their technology is inferior, their methods are crude, and they have absolutely no idea what they have gotten themselves into."

   "Or maybe they know exactly what they have gotten into, and plan to keep pressing onward."

   "Randor, you are such a sentimental fool, at times. I almost felt there was hope for you these past few years," Skeletor scoffed, rising from his throne made of bones. He approached the heavy stone table with a dome set in the center with six bony tendrils snaking out like the points of a star to the table's edge.

   The deposed Eternian king grumbled, "I'm a sentimental fool, and you are a pessimistic fool filled with hate and anger matched only by a bloated ego. I guess that makes us well suited for each other."

   Skeletor walked past the table down the ribbed corridor to the open mouth of the serpent coiled around the mountain. Dark pink, purple, and black colored the twilight sky. A pinkish-red river tumbled over a seven hundred foot waterfall far below. The roar of rushing water made conversation in the mouth somewhat difficult, but not impossible.

   "Once upon a time I would have gladly subjugated this world and all its inhabitants. Now I cower in this forsaken mountain with my second-most despised enemy." Skeletor's weary sigh was drowned out by the roaring waterfall.

   "Second-most despised?" Randor replied, amused. "When did I get downgraded?"

   "When He-Man showed up," the self-proclaimed Overlord of Evil spat, as if saying the name left a bad taste in his mouth. The Eternian king grunted, but said nothing. "They may have initial success, but they will eventually fall, you know. These humans can't possibly stand up to the might of Horde Prime's armies."

   Randor was barely listening to the man. His own thoughts drifted back to the moments following their retreat to Snake Mountain. A voice he could not place spoke in his mind of another prophecy.

   _The forces of Evil shall rise up and strike down the Heroes of Light. For a period darkest night shall all but eclipse the light. Then, from out of the darkness, there will arise six warriors who shall drive back the Darkness. They shall know triumph and tragedy, joy and sorrow. Their light will unite a galaxy and end the reign of Darkness once and for all. Six must fall, rising again like the Phoenix to heights undreamt of._

_   And they shall be called, Guardians._

   Skeletor called it a fairy tale. At first, Randor had been inclined to agree. Then they watched the battle between the Earthers and the Horde. The power armor they recovered brought the prophecy to startling clarity.

   _What if it wasn't a fairy tale after all?_ Randor thought idly, gazing out across the forbidding expanse inhospitable lands. _What if this time there really was hope?_

   "I wonder," the aged king replied to more to himself than his forbidding companion.


	6. Ch 05

FIVE  
  
Starship Eternia Area 51 1 June 2017 LAUNCH MINUS 30 MINUTES  
  
As before, the six Guardians stood in the shadow of the starship that would shortly take them on another mission. All six wore the black and gray jumpsuits. The difference was the patches on the right shoulder now reflected stunning embroidered reproductions of the power armor where there had been silhouettes before in the inner circle. The words 'Guardian Force' in golden color filled the void in the upper half between the gold inner and outer circles. The lower half was taken up with the names of each suit. Only Adrian's remained blank, as he still had not decided upon a proper name.  
Doctor Susan Blanchard arrived to see the Sorceress off. While not what one would call beautiful, Susan did have pleasant features. Those features, especially her green eyes, conveyed her concern for the Guardian. Susan toyed with a lock of straight brown shoulder-length hair, a nervous sign. "Guess I don't have to tell you what you already know," she replied after she and Sorceress walked a short distance away.  
Blue eyes trying to project warm comfort, Sorceress smiled sadly, "I know. There really isn't a lot to say at this point. Either I find that for which I search, or I don't."  
Susan couldn't hide her concern. "If you don't, then you'll – "  
"I know," Sorceress cut in before the doctor could voice what most everyone in the Guardian Force already knew.  
"I just don't know what else to do," Susan replied helplessly.  
Sorceress stepped forward and gathered the woman in a loving embrace. "Why don't you wish me luck?"  
"Good luck, Sorceress," Susan said softly, choking back tears.  
When they parted, a basso voice replied, "Stop it. I'm getting all misty- eyed." Nick Jackson wore a broad grin, which effectively hid his concern all but his closest friends. Susan smiled, wiped away a tear and left as quickly as she could. Sorceress took a page from Adrian's playbook. "How long have you been watching me, you old swine?"  
"Long enough. I just stopped by to wish you all good luck," Nick said to all the Guardians, who had wandered over as Susan departed. "While some don't hold too high a hope that you'll find what you are looking for on Eternia," Nick said candidly. "I am not worried. I know you'll come back."  
"Why are you so confident amid all this polite, if strained, optimism?" Brad asked, scratching an itch in his mass of wavy brown blond hair.  
"Because it's true. I have no ill feelings about this mission. I know I'll see all of you again. Just watch your backs." With that, Nick took his leave of them.  
"Well, that was..." Sonya paused to find the right word.  
"Odd," Jake supplied, unusually sober even for his normally carefree attitude.  
General Hammond arrived just as an ensign was trotting down the forward boarding ramp to hurry them on board. The ensign saw the general and his party, and thought better of delivering Captain Majourny's request to get their butts in gear. Hammond was not alone, either. Colonel Markson and Major Simmons trailed him. Both groups came together in view of the people manning the Eternia's bridge.  
"All right, Simmons," the balding Air Force officer said with strained civility. "You wanted this meeting. Talk."  
Showing mild amusement, Simmons stepped forward. "First off, I wanted to wish you all good luck on your mission." Jake, Brad, and Sonya snorted derisively. Sorceress was an emotional void, and Adrian's eyes bored into the man. "Look, I know you don't think very much of me, but I know I can be a real asset."  
"You're only off by two letters," Adrian said evenly.  
"Get on with it," Hammond ordered, at Simmons' annoyed frown. Colonel Markson had to hide a grin. Adrian certainly was bold for an enlisted man. It never ceased to amaze the colonel sometimes.  
"The Snake Men rule Eternia. Their control is absolute. Your best chance is to get down to the surface and hole up somewhere where you can run scouting missions from." Simmons laid out the situation as if he was issuing s briefing, which he was.  
"And that place would be?" Brad prompted evenly.  
"Castle Grayskull," Simmons replied.  
Adrian's nightmare from over two months ago came rushing back.  
He stood at the edge of a bridge with twin arches staring across a bottomless expanse to wide for a mortal human to jump even with a running start; not that there was anything like a ledge on the far side to leap to. The entire structure looked like some kind of alien arachnid with towers at the front corners framing a skull face. The closed bridge he somehow knew as the jawbridge slowly began is rickety decent. Thunder roared and lightning flashed throwing unearthly shadows against the gray/green stone structure. The bridge came to rest with a crash. It looked ever inch like its name. Stone teeth lining the edges and rippled down the center like the bridge and archways leading up to it. A glowing blue nimbus pulsed just within the open mouth. As Adrian watched, a deep-throated laughter filled the air as a mechanical three-fingers hand reached through the nimbus straight for him...  
Sorceress was the only one who understood Adrian's shiver.  
"Running scouting missions out of Grayskull?" Markson considered thoughtfully. Ha hated to admit it, but Simmons had a good idea. It was the one safe haven they were likely to find on an otherwise hostile planet. "Okay, Simmons. Point taken."  
"There's just one more thing," the man said quickly when Colonel Markson and the Guardians turned to board the starship. "The rumor in the stolen Horde records indicates Grayskull is sealed so tightly even some dragon called Grana-something-or-other couldn't get in."  
That comment startled Sorceress. She had forgotten all about the ancient dragon. She had assumed he would have taken his dragon hordes to a realm where the Evil Horde couldn't threaten them. Looks like that assumption may have been in error. As she boarded the starship, Sorceress hoped she'd live to find out.  
Massive overhead hangar doors parted to admit the faint glimmers of dawn. Stars studded the sky like sparkling diamonds in the eternal blackness of space. Eternia's bridge crew paused in their pre-launch checks to just stare at the peaceful scene. Knowing there was danger and death lurking somewhere beyond wasn't enough for them to not appreciate the beauty sparkling above. Soon they would be cruising among those stars; only this time, they knew the location of their destination, and how long it would take to get there.  
Uploaded along with the navigational data was an intelligence report of possible Horde warships in the Eternian solar system. There was nothing there they couldn't handle, a couple of destroyers and a heavy cruiser, but they could make infiltrating the system hairy when the time came to drop off two platoons to scout out to planetary situation. The data was over three months old, so the firepower cruising the system could be greater then anticipated. Jo-jo would start worrying about that again once the ship was safely away in hyperspace. For the moment, getting into space was top priority.  
All ladders and ramps retracted, and Etherium panels sealed the ports. Atmospheric thrusters warmed up as the main engines lit off. What started as a mechanical whine grew into a rumbling roar the vibrated the very air within the confines of the underground hangar.  
When all stations reported secure for launch, Captain Majourny touched a control on the board at her left hand. ""Launch Control, this is Starship Eternia requesting permission to depart."  
A slight pause was followed by a young female voice replying, "Launch Control to Eternia. Permission granted. Launch when ready. Good Luck."  
Jo-jo smiled slightly. Launch Control followed up with current atmospheric conditions. Ace and Ensign Comorov took the data and adjusted their flight path and power settings to compensate.  
Jo-jo recognized the signs when they were ready, and gave the order to lift.  
Recessed nozzles spewed vapor jets, increasing the cacophony in the hangar tenfold. At first nothing happened. Then, lift thrusters overcame gravity, and the silver inner tubes of the landing gear struts began to extend. At full extension, rubber wheels parted with concrete as the great ship continued to ascend with ease. Traces of sunlight backlit scant clouds on the eastern horizon as the starship rose out of the underground berth.  
Ace continued the ascent to over two hundred feet before engaging the main engines on Captain Majourny's command. Three bright novas blazed as the ship shot for the airless void as if it had been launched from a massive cannon. The earth closed up behind it as Eternia clawed effortlessly for the stars.  
"Honestly, I don't know what you see in them," Simmons remarked on the heels of General Hammond's whispered well wishes. "Especially Cobretti. Oh, I know all about the attack on Edwards Air Force Base, and the events following it. I just don't understand this affinity you seem to have for him."  
"That is something you will never understand, Simmons," Hammond replied evenly. "You'll never understand it because you spend too much of your time running good people into the ground. Excuse me. I need some fresh air. It's a little too stuffy in here."  
"No need to be insulting," Simmons said to the general's retreating back. Everyone else in Launch Control flat out ignored him.  
  
Realm of the Elders Unknown Location 2 June 2017  
  
While certain parties discounted the humans and their abilities, or awaited their arrival to see if there was anything to the rumors, another group watched their every move with interest. A tall, brown-haired woman appearing to be in her late thirties, wearing a silver dress that accentuated her beautiful figure watched a magical mirror. A young, black- haired man dressed in stylish silver robes, and looked no older than twenty though his real age was considerably higher accompanied her.  
Corwin and Kodec Ungor watched the events unfolding on the starship as it cruised the hyperlanes. Captain Majourny ran her crew through battle drills while she, Colonel Markson, Ensign Comorov, and Lieutenant McCloud planned the infiltration drop. The crew performed fairly well, though there were a few crewmembers more interested in causing trouble for their fellow humans. Jo-jo became increasingly impressed with the one called Wardman. His photographic memory served him well in the battle drills. He introduced a few surprises in the starship's design even those who rebuilt the ship probably didn't know about. Jo-jo was so impressed; she immediately incorporated the young man's innovative thinking into damage control plans.  
Colonel Markson reviewed plans of how they would proceed once they arrived on Eternia. Getting to Grayskull, much as he hated to acknowledge Simmons' suggestion, seemed to be the best option. Sorceress made solid assurances she could open the castle for them. She also felt reasonably sure there would be a suitable place close to the castle to hide the dropships and vehicles. The road leading up to Grayskull had twin stone arches, which she doubted the armored personnel carrier could pass under. Adrian's new toy might fit, but Sorceress was unsure how the castle would react to having it inside.  
"She hides it fairly well," Corwin commented, not taking his eyes from the magic mirror.  
Kodec nodded. "Something is wrong."  
Corwin raised a surprised eyebrow. "I didn't notice anything."  
"Think about it," Kodec replied mildly. "The armor healed her to a point, and should be sustaining her."  
"Yes. It should."  
"So why is Sorceress showing signs of the nerve degeneration again?"  
Corwin had no answer. There was none. By all accounts of their observations Sorceress should been in pretty good health. Yet she was showing a marked decrease in strength and stamina with no discernable cause.  
A new feminine voice said from behind the pair, "Because someone is interfering with the armor's ability to sustain her."  
Arawan, one of the original members who inherited a portion of the power bestowed upon her and seven others by King Grayskull, approached the pair on soundless feet. Bald, wearing a similar dress to Kodec's, and walking with a warrior's grace, Arawan looked the unlikely pair over.  
"You know this to be true, Kodec. Why do you not admit it to yourself?" Her voice was smooth a silk with a slight edge to it. "You know what is happening. Both of you have seen the signs."  
Corwin nodded, "But what can we do about it?"  
"Nothing," Kodec said tightly, brown eyes staring hard at their uninvited visitor. "If we let it be known what we suspect-"  
"You must keep the secret for now," Arawan advised, blue eyes matching Kodec's stare. "If not for your own sakes," she nodded to the mirror behind them, "then for theirs. We must proceed carefully, Kodec. The others cannot know of my involvement. Your rebellious attitude had served you well, but it will prove to be a liability in the future. Choose your path carefully."  
Corwin asked, "Can we still count on your support?"  
Arawan hesitated a moment before answering. "I am walking a fine line, my friend." She held up a hand to stop Kodec's reply. "I will help as much as I am able without giving myself away to the others, at least until the time when secrecy is no longer required. Remember that while our inherited power makes us immortal, we can be killed."  
"You don't really think the others would-"  
"It's hard to be sure what they will do, Corwin. For now, we must proceed with caution." Arawan looked suddenly nervous. "I have been away too long. I must return. Think about what I have said, Kodec. You are your own worst enemy. Use it to your best advantage." Arawan disappeared back into the surrounding darkness like a wraith passing through the area.  
Kodec thought hard about what to do. As she watched the mirror, Sorceress was retiring for the night wrapping her naked self in the plush fur blankets she had come to love so much. She thought of paying Sorceress a visit, but it was unnecessary. Kodec already knew what she needed.  
"Corwin, I must make preparations," Kodec said with sudden earnest.  
The young man responded immediately. "Where are we going?"  
Kodec shook her head. "No. I must do this alone. Don't worry. I won't be gone long." With a wave of her hand, a shimmering oval of oscillating orange and yellow streaks took shape. When it was fully formed, Kodec Ungor boldly stepped through. The magical portal faded away seconds after she had passed through leaving Corwin alone to wait, and wonder. 


	7. Ch 06

SIX  
  
Starship Eternia Eternian Star System 3 June 2017  
  
Eternia drifted into its namesake solar system with all systems shut down save life support. Passive sensors probed the planets and empty space for Horde warships. The sensor array had been upgraded and fine-tuned during the repair and rearming on Earth, the result was the capability to scan most any solar system they might encounter in its entirety. The passive sensors, while increased in sensitivity, had only about half the range. Penetration of the system had been carefully prepared and executed.  
Scans from half a light-year out marked the locations of Eternia and its twin moons. The orbits and positioning were carefully marked, and a plan was developed to get in behind the larger of the two moons, which just happened to be the furthest from the target planet. After the calculations had been thoroughly checked, rechecked, and checked five times more, complete with many computer simulations, Jo-jo's crew executed a ballistic entry into the Eternian star system.  
The nerve-wracking trip took almost ten hours traveling at around a million kilometers per second. Non-essential personnel were restricted to quarters to lessen the chance of a stray sound out energy transmission leaking out and alerting the enemy. This condition was the equivalent to a submarine running ultra-quiet.  
All their preparation, and near flawless execution, met with resounding success. Eternia slid to a stop behind the larger of planet Eternia's twin moons on tiny jets of breaking thrusters. Of course, there was the frightening possibility the Horde ships orbiting the planet saw them coming and let them get this close. Three hours after arriving on station, Captain Majourny relaxed the ultra-quiet stance.  
Preparations began for the – as Ace called it – 'drop-and-run.' The plan called for having two dropships loaded and ready in the drop bays. Eternia would execute a full speed run at its namesake planet, almost literally skip the atmosphere, release the dropships, and tear out of the area in hyperspace once clear of the planet's gravity well. The timing would be critical with little to no margin for error. Ace, Lieutenant Feril, and Lieutenant Gambini spent long hours plotting the approach and atmospheric entry vectors. Composite ceramic armor had its limits during re-entry. The trick was dancing the fine line without slipping into disaster.  
While the drop run was hammered out, the rest of Colonel Markson's command readied their equipment. Flamethrowers, pulse rifles, laser rifles, and the new plasma and pulse cannons were thoroughly checked over, disassembled when necessary, then loaded and racked. Boxes of spare loose ammunition, loaded magazines and clips, energy cells, and replacement parts were stacked up near the loading ramp of the armored carrier parked under the dropship hanging in the front starboard drop bay; the Number Two bay. The dropship over Number One bay was identical to the others, but this one was swarmed over by maintenance personnel busy employing one of the ship design's options. Instead of the standard retracting panels that concealed the large armored carrier, those panels were stored in the retracted position and disconnected from the hydraulic arms. Other hydraulic pistons at the front of the bay cavity were unlocked from their storage spaces, checked over, and readied for attaching to the ramp currently being mounted at the aft end of the ship's bay. This would allow the two-man war machine Gabe Burns sent along to be carried down to the planet. Not only could the ramp be lowered at an angle to front loading, it could also be lowered using a second set of hydraulic pistons at the rear as a level platform one could drive up on. This could be used while both ship and vehicle were in motion; however, tests of this option had thus far ended – badly. It was only to be used as a very last resort.  
A fever pitch quietly built up with each passing hour. The entire crew knew the drop was coming soon even if the exact timing had yet to be planned. Beneath that, tension built as well about confronting Horde warships once again. Though the plan called for a speed run at planet Eternia's atmosphere to drop off half of Colonel Markson's command, a warship getting in the way and forcing battle could not be ruled out. Their success in their last encounter was largely due to blind luck and surprise.  
Tentative theory about the destruction of the corvette in orbit of that unknown moon where the armor was recovered indicated the combination of plasma and reaction torpedoes striking near simultaneous in nearly the same spot caused a fluctuation in the warship's shield array. The flux allowed twenty-inch titanium shells from the rail guns to punch through the hull and literally ricochet around inside. The Horde vessel died when one of the shells managed to bounce its way in to the aft main engineering compartments. Theory held a shell pierced the ion core's magnetic containment. The rest was history.  
Captain Majourny, Colonel Markson, and Hohiro Takamora reviewed the mission brief in her quarters. Hohiro would be in charge of Charlie and Delta platoons while Markson was away with Alpha and Beta. Hohiro thought he was getting the downside of the deal, and voiced it in a good-natured way.  
"Let me get this straight," Jo-jo said, putting an intermission in their meeting. "Hohiro, you would rather be dropping onto a Snake Men-controlled planet where every day you are there will likely be a life-or-death struggle to do the recon we need while avoiding King Hiss' snake hordes than with me on a diplomatic mission?" She shook her head ruefully.  
"Snakes, robots, and running battles I can deal with. Life or death struggles I can deal with," the oriental captain replied. "Politicians scare me." There was no way to be sure just how truthful or whimsical he was trying to be.  
"Well, at least I had a choice of assignment," Jon quipped.  
"And it didn't take you more than an instant to stab me in the back, sir," Hohiro said with a grin. "And after all I've done for you..."  
"Gentlemen, and I use that term loosely, lets not drift too far from the subject," Jo-jo said, heading things off for the third time in the past hour. "Now. I notice there is no one in any of the platoons even remotely familiar with Horde technology beyond the basics of using the captured weapon systems we currently employ." She locked eyes with both men in turn. "Gentlemen, this is unacceptable. There are several people on board this ship who are familiar with their technology. In fact, the person I have in mind could use a change of scenery."  
"Now wait a minute," Markson protested. "There are only so many seats available in the carrier. I won't have the time to baby-sit anyone."  
Hohiro raised a hand. "I'll do it. He can go to Phantos."  
Jon shot him a withering glare.  
"What you need is a liaison between us starship pukes and you rampaging warmongers. Now, the person I have in mind should be arriving right...about – "The door chime sounded as someone outside requested admittance. Jo-jo pressed a button on her desk.  
A young man's nervous voice drifted from the hidden speaker. "Ensign Wardman reports as ordered, captain."  
Jo-jo touched another control and the door slid open with barely a sound. "Enter."  
A very nervous ensign timidly stepped across the threshold. He entered far enough to the sensor to allow the door to close, and remained rooted in place. Wardman's anxiety mounted when he recognized Colonel Markson and Captain Takamora.  
Jo-jo waved the young man to the remaining unoccupied seat. "Please, sit down." Wardman did so, but sat at attention. "Oh, do relax, Andre. You aren't in trouble."  
Andre relaxed a bit, but kept his guard up. Despite his training sessions with Hohiro's core group, Leroy Harris still found ways to get to him when the shadows Hohiro appointed to look after him were not around. Those occasions were few, but effective. It didn't help that there was still no room available to move Andre out of the enlisted section into officer's country.  
Jo-jo could only do so much with showing favoritism toward the talented young man. She left the matter in the hands of Master Sergeant Cox; the senior enlisted man on the ship. He was the equivalent of a Navy boson, and God's right hand on the starship. His word was considered law, and straight from the captain. The big hindrance to the whole deal was Wardman's apparent need to handle this on his own. The problem was Harris out-massed Andre by almost fifty pounds.  
Maybe he'll see reason and go along with this, Jo-jo sighed. I have enough to worry about without worrying about him ending up dead. "I have a proposition for you, ensign. Your work as a member of Eternia's crew has been outstanding. You have pointed out a few design errors that actually work in our favor. Plus, your interest in Horde technology will make you a valuable asset in the future whether you like it or not." Jo-jo put on her best motherly smile. "Now. The job I have in mind is a new position we just made up. Despite outward appearances, it will carry a certain amount of importance."  
"What she's trying not to say is we need a liaison between my command and Captain Majourny's crew," Colonel Markson replied. "That's where you come in. Normally, a slot like this would be filled by someone with a little more experience, but we take what we can get."  
The enormity of what they were asking slowing sank in as Andre kept his face screwed into an emotionless mask. I can get off this ship! Temporarily, at lest. They want ME in the event they run across some piece of technology that might be useful. "I thought Private O'Rourke was familiarizing herself with their technology," Andre replied, keeping the elation out of his voice.  
Takamora nodded. "She is, but she can't specialize in it the way you are trying to do. You are the next best thing to the experts back home."  
Andre opened his mouth to speak, but Colonel Markson stopped him. "Understand, ensign, this isn't going to be a pleasure cruise. We'll be cut off with no allies and no support until Captain Majourny returns from the diplomatic mission to Phantos."  
"I understand, sir," Andre replied soberly.  
"Then you accept? You can turn it down, son. We won't think any less of you if you do," Hohiro added.  
"I know, sir. I'm still willing to go." Andre turned to Captain Majourny, and said formally, "Captain, I accept the liaison position and am prepared to accompany Colonel Markson on the mission to Eternia."  
"Very well." Jo-jo slid a chip across the desk to him. "This contains a list of what gear you will need. Gather it and report to the drop bay."  
"Aye, captain!" This time his elation broke through. Andre reined it in, but the slight smile on the captain's face told him she had hoped for just such a reaction.  
"Well, that was easy," Hohiro commented, after the young man had departed.  
Colonel Markson finished a brief conversation via his personal comm link. "Yes. Too bad getting to Eternia's surface won't be."  
"Oh, don't be such a sourpuss, Jon," Jo-jo replied with an impish grin and a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "At least you get all the easy assignments."  
"Just lucky, I guess," the colonel replied sourly.  
  
Andre bubbled over with joy as he headed for his barracks to gather his meager things for the mission. The data chip given to him by the captain remained safely tucked away in a pocket. He would need that when he requisitioned the gear for the mission. No one was about in the darkened barracks, and Andre counted his blessings. Now if he could just pack his things and get out-  
"Well, what have we here? I thought I smelled chicken," Melvin Boudreaux sneered. "See Leroy? I told ya he'd come back."  
A weasel-faced man with an average build and a scarred face only a mother could love stepped out of the shadows with two other men and one woman. All looked mean, nasty, and ready for a fight. The motley group fanned out and surrounded their prey where they commenced slapping Wardman about pushing him into people around the circle. Andre never had a chance to get his balance before being propelled into the next person. They weren't exactly gentle about it, either.  
"You're right, Harris. It does smell rather fowl in here."  
Six pairs of eyes jerked suddenly to the source of the unwanted intrusion. Antone Frost and Jack Rockwell stood silhouetted in light from the corridor. Both leaned against the door jams regarding the entire ruckus with almost bored disinterest.  
"See?" Jack said to Frost. "I told you there were chickens aboard ship." He turned his penetrating brown eyes upon Harris and company. "Six to be exact."  
"Takes a real brave person to pick on someone half their size," Frost commented lightly.  
"Some security force," Jake scoffed, adding fuel to the fires smoldering twenty feet away. "This ship gets invaded, we might as well just surrender." Jerking a thumb in Harris' direction, Jake spat, "They sure as hell ain't gonna save us."  
The circle broke up, Andre being shoved unceremoniously over a cot, as the group faced their new threat. Jake and Frost remain infuriatingly calm and rather unconcerned as the six fanned out. Each fisted razor-sharp knives as they closed to within ten feet of the duo.  
Jake raised an eyebrow. "Pig-stickers?"  
"Doncha just hate it when they don't know when to just shut up and leave?" Frost inquired, never moving a muscle.  
"You're gonna bleed for that," the girl sneered.  
"What'd she say?" Frost replied.  
"Plan A's a loser," Jake interpreted.  
Leroy stepped menacingly forward, the blade in his left hand flashed low and away. "We may go to the brig, but you guys won't live to tell about this."  
"Plan A's definitely a loser," Frost agreed.  
Neither man moved a muscle or even tensed. Several of Harris' cronies began to wonder what was going on. No one was this relaxed in the face of six armed people. Unless they knew something no one else did.  
"Uh, Leroy, I don't like this," the blonde-hair sensor tech named Jason said nervously.  
"Shuddup!" Leroy snapped. "There's just the two of them." In a flash like lightning, faster than his bulk hinted, Leroy snapped the point of his knife up under Frost's chin. Frost continued looking almost bored with the childish display. "Ever wonder what a stuck black man sounds like?"  
The unmistakable sounds of blades snapping out caused the blonde and female to whip around toward the inky blackness behind them.  
"Oh, dear," Frost exaggerated. "Did we forget to tell them about Plan B?"  
"Oops," Jake replied, grinning sheepishly. "I thought there was something we needed to tell them."  
Frost shifted his head minutely, and said to the cowering ensign, "Hey, Andre. Be a good sport and shed some light on this here situation, would ya?"  
Anxiety and tension thickened to near stifling levels as Andre fumbled about looking for the nearest wall switch. Still shaking from his battering, Andre tripped over several footlockers on his way to the forward entrance and the switch he knew was there.  
When the lights finally came on like blazing suns, Leroy's female accomplice and the blonde man gasped in horror. Leroy himself slowly turned his head to see the sight that quickly shook the resolve of his minions.  
Adrian Cobretti stood twenty feet away in the form of a syngenor; eyes blazing like orbs of molten silver, brackish carapace gleaming in the white lights, and twin bone claws extended and ready. Flanking the terrifying creature was the remainder of Alpha Platoon. Thirteen men and women wearing battle dress uniforms, armed with wicked, razor-sharp hunting knives stared back; some with knowing grins. They had entered the barracks from the port side where they wouldn't be seen.  
"I wonder what a honky sounds like when stuck like a pig," Frost replied casually.  
Frost's audacity with a knife at his throat surprised Leroy. "They may get us," he snarled, "but you won't be around to see it."  
The syngenor took several steps forward, its footfalls echoed on the metal deck. Everyone felt those vibrations in the soles of the boots. The skirmish line stepped forward with their anchor. Though this creature form looked bulky, ponderous, lacking of speed, no one in the room had that impression. Adrian explored those traits in the first few days after returning to Earth.  
Jake eyed the defiant little Marine bully, whose height barely reached Jake's shoulders. "Not likely," he replied, removing the right hand that had been hidden behind his back all this time. In that fist was a powerful and extremely accurate laser pistol. Jake pointed the efficient little weapon right between Leroy's bugging eyes when he turned to face Jake. "Wanna bet whether or not this is set for 'stun?' Wouldn't matter at this range. Even stun would kill."  
Frost flicked his eyes and the people on the ends of the skirmish line dropped out to gather up Wardman and his gear. Quick and efficient, the trio packed up and ushered Andre out another exit. With the ensign now safely out of harm's way, Alpha platoon closed in on six who thought they'd make trouble on Captain Majourny's ship with impunity.  
"If you do take him down," Jake said very quietly, "you will suffer the unfortunate accident of stepping out the nearest airlock without a pressure suit."  
Leroy switched his gaze from Frost to Jake and back. Suddenly, he dropped his knife hand and smiled almost jovially. "Okay, ground-pounders. You win this round. We'll have this out another time."  
No one but Leroy and his gang moved. They cautiously put away their knives lest they provoke the fifteen soldiers and one shape-changer. Frost blew out a sigh of relief.  
"Thought he might actually do it for a minute, there," Jake commented seriously.  
Frost nodded his agreement rubbing his chin.  
Colonel Markson listened to the report from Alpha Platoon for almost a full minute, acknowledged, and switched off the comm link. The former Army Ranger stretched out in the chair and laced his fingers behind his head. Jo- jo stared at the man debating the critique she had in mind.  
Instead, she said, "Do I really want to know?"  
"No, though I will say you shouldn't have too much trouble from that rabble element," Markson said smugly.  
"Remind me never play poker with you for keeps, sir," Hohiro replied.  
"Well, with you around, Hohiro, maybe things will stay quiet and uneventful," Jo-jo, said. Yeah, right, she added silently. Where the Horde is concerned things are anything but quiet.  
  
Soldiers began gathering in the locker room at the appointed hour thirty minutes from launch. Frost was already there with Privates O'Rourke and Deubert loading weapons and setting them up in the storage racks. Others arrived from Alpha and Beta platoons where they started the arduous task of strapping on battle armor.  
Maintenance techs started arriving to begin preflight inspections with the flight crews. Safety pins were removed from ejection seats, weapons in the ordinance racks, and landing gear locks. The entire exterior was examined for defects especially the conformal fuel tanks mounted along the spines of both dropships. The extra tanks would almost double the flying range, and they would need that fuel on this mission. It had to last until Eternia returned from its mission to Phantos.  
The whine of auxiliary power units created a steady hum in the background as the armored carrier was driven back out of the aft storage bay and parked under the dropship in the number two spot; the forward starboard bay. As a spotter standing off the dropship's nose guided the mammoth vehicle into position; a bizarre, vastly smaller, and extremely powerful, wheeled weapon skirted the drop bays to the starboard side. Soldiers already dressed for action stopped their conversing to openly gawk at the war machine as Adrian Cobretti drove by to park in front of the dropship hanging over Number One bay. Fittingly, the words 'WAR MACHINE' were hand-scrawled in red paint on both sides of the immaculate battle gray hull.  
"If the rumors I heard about that thing are even half accurate, Cobra and Jake are gonna have some fun," Private Samuel Johnson replied, eyes wistful.  
"We're not on a vacation," Catherine O'Rourke, veteran of the Force's first real combat against the Horde, retorted. "Stop daydreaming right now, kid. If you get yourself killed because of it, fine. You take others with you; I swear I'll talk the Sorceress into resurrecting you so I can kill you myself. Clear?" Private Johnson recoiled from the vehemence in Catherine's words, and offered a jerky nod.  
Colonel Markson arrived with the remaining Guardians and soldiers. Brad led the way to the six imposing suits of power armor standing in the corner near the locker room. Jake and Adrian joined their comrades, and boldly approached the towering weapons of war. Colonel Markson and those already suited up watched a sight they never got tired of seeing. Each battle suit opened up at it wearer's approach. Seams formed where they did not previously exist. Panels on the arms, legs, and chest plates yawned wide as the human operators climbed up and stepped back into the cavity contoured to the individual. Once inside, the panels closed, sealed, and comfortably locked the six humans in a protective Etherium womb.  
Green eyes flashed in each helmet when the power-up was completed. Adrian marveled once again at the openness on the interior helmet display. It was as if he wasn't wearing one. Displays scrolled down the sides of his forward vision reflecting suit status, weapon status, and the effective combat efficiency.  
Brad's voice floated from his comm system. "Umm, has anyone considered how we're to get into the vehicles like this? I mean, no one seemed to interested in that aspect when we were running these suits through controlled tests back home."  
"Da," Sonya agreed. "We're too tall to fit in there with all the other soldiers."  
"Be nice is these suits could shrink down to the size of the armor the others are wearing," Jeromy added.  
In response, all six battle suits did exactly that. The metamorphosis to a matter of seconds, and six humans dressed in malleable power armor remained where six towering weapons had once been.  
"Sweet," Colonel Markson commented, then entered the locker room to suit up.  
"You see," Sonya said to no one in particular. "Jeromy can come up with a good idea from time to time; rare event that it is." Her comments were well received by Jeromy, who stuck out his tongue now that his face was no longer obscured by a mask.  
"Children," Sorceress sighed wearily. She left the group and climbed up the open ramp to look for a good seat up in the front of the carrier.  
"What's with her?" Jake asked innocently.  
Sonya made a rude noise in her throat. "Men," she grumbled, and followed the other woman into the carrier.  
Jake stood around trying to figure out Sorceress' reaction until Adrian pushed him in the direction of the War Machine.  
"C'mon, Jake. It's not men. It's the affliction. Let it go."  
"Well, that isn't my fault," the former infantry sergeant protested.  
Adrian exchanged knowing looks with Brad and Jeromy then continued to prod Jake toward the War Machine. "Shuddup and get in. She didn't mean what she said."  
"Yeah, but-"  
"GET IN!" Adrian snapped, climbing up the side and clambering into the driver's seat, the aft position.  
As before, Sergeant Apone riled up the troops, pumping them up for the mission now minutes away from starting. Soldiers scrambled out of the locker room and lined up across from the assault carrier in two columns. Apone gave the soldiers a cursory look over then ordered them up the ramp to find their seats. The usual banter and boasting from the last drop was magnified by the inexperience of the replacement troops. They were cocky, smarting off about how they would have handled the previous mission, and general clueless about what they had gotten into. The Guardians tuned it out. They had heard it all before, been a part of it, even.  
Each was lost in his or her own thoughts about the mission. Sorceress, especially, dwelled upon what she would find. How much had the people of Eternia changed ground under the heel of King Hiss for over seven years. What had become of her daughter? What happened when Catra's fleet returned here to crush He-Man's uprising? What of the Masters? These were questions needing answers, and Sorceress was afraid of the answers they'd find. She fervently hoped her nervousness didn't show. Even if it did, her companions were professional enough to at least pretend not to notice.  
The ramp rose to the whine of hydraulic actuators and the cacophony of atmospheric engines rose in pitch as they spooled up to idle speeds. Ground crews ran last-minute checks before pulling external power umbilical cables, lockout pins, and other safety devises. Adrian's armor found a way to interface with the War Machine's computer. The helmet formed a heads up display before his eyes with a window before the right eye showing him the aft view as he backed the machine up the ramp. Once in place, he locked the brakes and powered down as the ramp rose.  
  
Jo-jo watched the counter spiral downward on a small monitor at her left hand. The lights had been switched to red to preserve night vision. Once they rounded the moon, they would be hit by sunlight, but the dimmed clear steel canopy would counter that. Outwardly, Jo-jo appeared relaxed as she watched Ace and Ensign Comorov go over the approach vectors for the drop run; listened to Lieutenant Denton mutter to himself in between conversing with Lieutenant Satori about the passive sensor ghosts. The pair tried to refine the positions of Horde warships as best they could, but passive sensors just did not have the reach. All they could do was guess until they went active and got positive locks.  
At the touch of a button, an image of the drop bay appeared. A status of the two ships ready for drop was displayed below the picture. Both craft were in the green with engines idling. The vehicle bays were closed, and the ground crew was finishing stowing away cables, tool kits, and various other items. Once all loose items were stored and the bay was clear of personnel, the computer signaled all clear for drop.  
Jo-jo sighed once more. That quiet action caused all subdued conversation to cease. She looked around the bridge pausing for a few seconds on each expectant face. No one showed anything less than grim determination. Every member of her bridge crew was committed to making this drop succeed.  
"Status," Captain Majourny said formally. "All stations."  
Ace's console beeped at him. "All station's show ready."  
"Very well, Ace. Sound battlestations."  
Ace touched a control and his voice echoed throughout the ship.  
  
ALL HANDS MAN YOUR BATTLESTATIONS! BATTLESTATIONS! BATTLESTATIONS! ALL DECKS ACKNOWLEDGE.  
  
Systems all over the ship switched from passive and standby mode to active. Powerful engine roared to life filling the aft compartments with a reassuring rumble. Crewmembers dashed through the corridors to their assigned station. Etherium panels parted as the dorsal and ventral quad laser mounts extended.  
"All decks show ready," Ace confirmed. "All systems ready."  
"Very well. If we're going to do it, let's do it."  
  
Commander Franik hated this posting. Hated it with a passion the robots under his command could not comprehend. Eternia was pleasing to the eye, but these were not his stars. His home lay many light-years away. No, King Hiss and his snake forces caused his ire. Franik's closet held many skeletons best never seen in the light of day, but none approached the atrocities the Snake Men committed mostly for the shear pleasure. The green- skinned humanoid mused once again why Horde Prime put up with that creature. Some things were just too obscene even for the Horde.  
An insistent buzz from the sensor station snapped Franik out of his wanderings. The trooper manipulated the controls trying to refine the sudden readings.  
"Well?" Franik demanded with more irritability than he actually felt. Wouldn't do to let the riff-raff see his hidden gentler side. This event at least broke the monotony of picketing this star system.  
"Unknown energy source detected behind the larger moon. It just – appeared," the robot reported at last.  
Skeptical, Franik replied, "Appeared?"  
"Yes, commander. One moment there was nothing and the next there was a power spike."  
Another trooper spoke up. "Commander! Unknown spacecraft detected. It just cleared the dark side of the moon."  
"Identify it immediately!" Franik snapped.  
Several seconds passed before the report came. The unknown starship was of a configuration not in the Horde database of known craft. Franik stared at the tracking plot now glowing on the main video display. His battlecruiser was stationed in orbit over the planet's northern hemisphere. Two accompanying destroyers were off just beyond the outer moon's orbit. None were in a position to intercept, as yet. The computer was still struggling to refine the trajectory data, but the silhouette was coming in clear.  
Two cylinders riding low along the ship's long axis, pointed bow with winglets, canopy, and the unmistakable snouts of laser weapons stirred Franik's memory, but he just couldn't place it. Something he should remember. Whatever it was, it was really moving.  
"Get me a visual on that ship. NOW!" Commander Franik barked. The longer he watched that intruder the lower his stomach sank.   
  
Though aerodynamics meant nothing in space, Eternia rounded the moon she had been hiding behind for over a day like she had been shot from a cannon. Sub-light drives drove the starship to almost sixty percent of the speed of light. Even so, it still took time to reach the planet. Time enough for the three Horde warships picketing the system to react.  
"Destroyers coming around," Lieutenant Denton reported. "Reading energy spikes on both ships."  
"Snap-shot 3 and 4," Jo-jo ordered.  
In response, torpedo tubes three and four on the starboard side vomited their lethal weapons into the hard vacuum. One reaction warhead followed closely by a plasma weapon raced off to meet the turning warship.  
"Confirmed location on Destroyer Two," Harley replied, finger poised over the firing control. "Lock intermittent."  
"Snap-shot 1 and 2," Jo-jo ordered.  
Tubes One and Two belched their payloads into space. Snap-shots were not the most accurate means of aiming. It was aiming for a projected spot where one believed the enemy would be given the velocity and direction of the target in relation to the ship launching the weapons. Jo-jo was going for disabling the destroyers, though that was okay, too. The object was to distract them long enough to get to Eternia, make their drop, evade that battle cruiser, and jump into hyperspace.  
The tactic seemed to be working so far. The enemy didn't appear to have a positive identification on them yet. Once the torpedoes launched, the destroyers went evasive. Evidently, information on Eternia's last skirmish with Horde warships had filtered out this far. Or else they were just trying to save their metal skins. Either way, the sudden attack had the desired effect.  
A corridor was left wide open to get to Eternia's atmosphere. Ace arrowed straight for that opening. He and Comorov concentrated only on getting into position to release the dropships. They tuned out the updates going back and forth between Novina Satori at the science equipment and Harvey Denton at the weapons stand behind Captain Majourny's right shoulder.  
On screen at Jo-jo's left hand, the dropships were being lowered into their bays. Lifting arms disconnected and retracted into the ceiling. Thick panels slid closed sealing the ships inside. The outer doors would not open until just seconds prior to release to minimize giving that battlecruiser a devastating belly shot.  
So far things appeared to be going as planned. All that remained was that battle cruiser.  
  
Commander Franik watched helplessly as the enemy starship launched two torpedo salvos. The first pair launched had the furthest to go to their target. Although that crew had plenty of time to attempt scoring a proximity blast that would detonate the torpedoes prematurely, they had been trying to track down a fault in their shield system and forward weapons array. This proved terminal, as they could not pour out the necessary laser fire to have a decent chance for a proximity hit.  
The reaction torpedo slammed into a shield only about half its normal strength. Electromagnetic energies released from the detonation licked out across the invisible shield now illuminated as it was physically struck. Rainbow eddies died in moments as the entire system literally fried leaving the warship open for the second torpedo trailing close behind. This one, armed with a plasma warhead, slammed into unprotected armor plates, actually penetrated over one meter into the hull, and detonated. The destroyer simply ceased to exist inside a boiling globe of raging plasma fire.  
Franik's other destroyer faired better, though it had less time to evade and set down defensive fire. A proximity explosion set off the reaction torpedo over three hundred meters from striking. Its energy release did damage the shields, but not enough. A second lucky strike destroyed the plasma torpedo two hundred meters out. Boiling plasma washed across the warship's shields frying their circuits, clasping them, and scorching hull armor. The destroyer survived, but was out of the fight. With no shields and the forward weapons array now damaged severely, it would be nothing more than cannon fodder for the as yet unidentified starship.  
That left Franik to stand-alone against the alien speeding toward him.  
  
Short-lived cheers scattered the grim atmosphere surrounding Eternia's bridge when Lieutenant Satori reported the destruction of one Horde destroyer and the near crippling of the other. That left only that battle cruiser to deal with. She hadn't quite gotten around for a head-to-head confrontation, which was just as well. With Eternia closing from off the enemy's starboard bow more weapon could be aimed in their general direct; and were.  
Red laser bolts lit the starry void, some exploding close enough to rattle the ship. Other glanced off the powerful shield. Some blows slammed home with enough force to deflect the ship, but it really didn't matter. They weren't going to trade blows with that starship, even though they had a pretty good chance of coming out on top.  
Rail guns, quad lasers, and quad mounts hammered back more for effect than to actually cause damage. No torpedoes were wasted on the enemy as Ace altered the approach vectors aiming for the equatorial run.  
Ace's comm was open to dropships waiting in the forward drop bays. "Standby. Twenty seconds to drop."  
Feril and her RIO – rear instrument operator – coordinated with their counterparts in the other dropship to time their release and flight paths so they didn't collide. This was going to be a day for firsts. First tandem drop and first running drop off of the carrier and War Machine while in motion and undoubtedly being pursued. The last mission saw the first running drop of the carrier, but not while under fire so they could do it right the first time.  
Ace's voice echoed in Feril's helmet as she checked her instruments one more time. All checks between ship and carrier were complete. Tension mounted as the release time neared. More laser blasts struck the ship causing the waiting dropships to buck and rattle. Exterior doors dropped open with ten seconds to release. Light flooded the bay and Feril could make out massive cloud cover white and fluffy. Perfect for hiding in while trying to distance herself from that battle cruiser.  
"Standby," Ace called out. "Five seconds. Four. Three. Two. One. DROP!"  
Shields died for several heart-stopping moments as the dropships fell out of Eternia's belly into the planet's upper atmosphere. The shields were dropped to minimize the danger to the tiny vessels and the plunged like rocks into the clouds. Several shots from the battle cruiser scored direct hits, but did little more than mar the paint.  
Bay doors closed, shields snapped back on deflecting more incoming fore, and Ace fought the control stick to point the nose toward open space. Imperceptible at first, the nose started to rise as the drive fought to shove the great ship back out of the atmosphere of her namesake planet. They'd had to slow down considerably to reach a safe velocity for release. Now that they were past that point, Ace slammed the power levels wide open. They were now so close the to enemy warship its command could have spit on them.  
All at once, quicker than any Horde commander would have believed possible, Eternia leapt away from the planet. In minutes, the ship roared past the orbits of both moons where Captain Majourny ordered the jump to hyperspace. 


	8. Ch 07

SEVEN  
  
Planet Eternia 3 June 2017  
  
Everyone held on grimly as the dropships bucked and shook from the turbulence of re-entry. Hulls ionized as the dropships plunged through the raging storm clouds. Lightning flashes mingled with greater flashes from laser bolts fired blindly from above.  
"Feril! You think we could slow down a little, and smooth this ride out just a bit?" Colonel Markson said, grunting as the jostling slammed him against his safety harness.  
"No can do, colonel," Feril replied, teeth gritted in concentration.  
"Why?"  
The ship rocked and dropped briefly creating a negative G effect from something greater than the storm turbulence.  
"That's why," Feril answered. "That battlecruiser is firing blindly at us."  
Another close explosion threatened to send both dropships tumbling out of control. Feril and her companion in the other ship nosed down even further, and throttled up the atmospheric engines. Their only chance was to get closer to the surface and sprint away. They one saving grace they had was capital ship weapons were designed for combat against other capital ships. Not ships the size of fighters. Or dropships.  
Gradually, the rain of laser fire abated, and finally ceased as the Horde commander gave up the folly of firing blindly. The dropships continued to drive deeper into the atmosphere, now shallowing their descent. Feril broke through the clouds at over thirty-four thousand feet. Grey light filtering through the storm cover illuminated a broken wasteland the likes of which nothing on Earth could have matched.  
The so-called Dark Side of Eternia. Home to evil incarnate. Skeletor.  
This was a broken and twisted land of stone, active volcanoes, and rivers of lava. There was the odd water river like the one passing close to the tallest mountain on the dead continent. To the north lay the Sea of Rakash. The Harmony Sea to the south. Directly ahead to the northeast lay the tallest structure in this part of the world.  
Snake Mountain.  
Two figures stood in the gaping mouth of the serpent coiled about the peak, though the people on the alien craft could not see them. Both were tall, muscled, and veterans of many years of warfare. One was dressed all in black with a cape and hood. The other wore common clothes usually seen in the peasant villages, which had seen better days, and a full beard streaked with gray.  
"So, they come, at last," rumbled the hooded man.  
"They're early," the other remarked.  
"But we were right about their coming here," the dark man replied. He paused as if sampling the breeze, which he was, but one of a very different sort. "I sense a powerful presence among them."  
The bearded man failed to conceal his shock. "She actually came with them?"  
The hood nodded. "Of course she did, old friend. Where else can she go? That ancient pile of stone is the only thing that may save her, if the rumors I have been collecting are correct."  
"She won't like what she finds."  
"None of them will," the dark man replied after a long pause.  
Both men silently watched the tiny specks move across the sky until they were lost on the horizon.  
Now relatively safe, the dropships continued their easterly course at just under thirty thousand feet. They crossed the Ocean of Gnarl at almost mach two, crossing the terminator into night as they closed on the arable landmasses. As they closed on the Golden Isles, Feril throttled back until the broke back through the sound barrier to sub-sonic speeds.  
"Going 'feet dry' in ten minutes," Feril reported to Colonel Markson.  
The term 'Feet Dry' in Navy language meant an aircraft from crossing from water to land. They were almost on top of the Golden Isles, beyond which lay the vast Evergreen Forest, and Castle Grayskull.  
There were no references to guide them to the castle. No convenient roads through the forest marked the way. All they had to go on were maps and approximate latitude and longitude to light the way.  
"Uh, oh," Johansen muttered, staring hard at his radar display.  
"Tell me they haven't found us," Feril said, sitting up a little straighter in her cramped seat.  
"Not yet. South east of us. Two blips moving away. Make them about ten minutes from our location."  
Colonel Markson cut in. "Find the nearest clearing in the forest and drop us off. If they spot you, I want you to lead them away. Make them wonder where we're headed."  
"Roger that," Feril answered.  
She began scanning her infrared and starlight sensors for a suitable landing space in the dark dense mass of forest now passing thousands of feet below. She had about given up when Sorceress' quiet voice came through her helmet speakers loud and clear. Feril followed the woman's vague guidance to turn this way for so many seconds, then turn that way for so many more. It became clear Sorceress had tapped into the energy fields given off by all living things. Jake jokingly called it 'The Force', and while Sorceress admitted the description was not far off from George Lucas' vision, it was not wholly accurate. Life created the energy fields by which 'magic' was created, but it was not a conscious living energy field. It simply 'was.' The strength and endurance of the individual dictated how powerful one was.  
The Guardian of Grayskull was very powerful in her own right, though she rarely showed it. Sorceress tapped into the power fields of the planet to find them a suitable clearing with the right kind of trails big enough to accommodate their vehicles.  
Two dropships appeared from out of the night, landing lights blazing only after they dropped below the treetops. Adrian readied himself, powered up the war machine, and braced for a bumpy roll-off as the ramp lowered while still hundreds of feet in the air. The armored personnel carrier was released from the magnetic wheel clamps less than a meter above the ground while the other dropship touched down on quad landing struts long enough for Adrian to roar off the ramp. Both ships doused their landing lights, closed the drop bays, and roared off into the night to the north.  
Almost immediately, the patrolling Horde fighters turned to follow. The vehicles waited within the gnarled, twisted trees of the evergreen forest, completely powered down except for passive sensors, for the enemy to pass them by. Anxious minutes dragged by as Colonel Markson waited for the fighters to get far enough away before risking powering up and moving out.  
Adrian's armor interfaced with the war machine's systems. It created a HUD – heads-up display - on a transparent visor before his eyes eliminating the need to use the one mounted atop the control panel. He set the power lever at his left hand to around on-third power and used the joystick on the right side and foot pedals to steer. The lower left of his HUD displayed an aft view. In it he could see the APC driver was trailing about fifty meters behind, undoubtedly using a night vision face shield to maneuver.  
Driving cautiously through the pitch-black forest, gloomy shapes passed by in the eerie green of Adrian's night vision. Trees unlike anything ever conceived of on earth rolled by. Unearthly creatures darted among the shrubs, if the plants he saw could be called that. Some deer-like animals paused to look at the alien machines as they rumbled past them, then sprinted off deeper into the forest.  
They kept up a steady pace veering off the main track only three times to maneuver around the fallen corkscrew trunk of a tree. They stopped briefly as Adrian searched the surroundings. Several times he thought he sensed something, but found nothing each time. The next time the war machine came to a halt was several meters short of a small clearing just large enough to accommodate both vehicles. This was the last one before breaking through the trees into the clearing five kilometers in diameter where Castle Grayskull stood upon an earthen pillar surrounded by a bottomless 'moat.'  
"What's with Adrian?" Colonel Markson whispered to Corporal Frost, currently driving the carrier.  
"Can't say for certain, Colonel," the ebony man replied. "Been acting squirrelly for the past ninety minutes. That damn nose of his."  
To punctuate the point, Adrian unlocked and shoved the hatch on the right up, and climbed out. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he morphed into the CHUD form and began scouting the area ahead. Clearly his heightened senses touched upon something, but he was evidently unable to pinpoint what it was. Markson glanced at Sorceress. She looked away from the colonel, eyes focusing on things only she could see. After a few moments, she returned her gaze to the expectant office, and shrugged ever so slightly.  
Markson unlatched the personnel hatch behind the driver's seats, slid the armored plate back, and walked down the iron stairs, which automatically extended when the hatch was opened. Eyes constantly searching the gloom, Jon made his way cautiously forward. He stepped silently up next to the green-eyed, rat-faced terror who sniffed the air and scanned the clearing ahead.  
"What's up? What do you sense?" Jon received no answer. The monster continued to sniff, search, and issue the occasional growl. Irritated, Jon grabbed the creature's arm. "Adrian!" He held his ground as the creature whirled suddenly. "What the hell's the matter with you?"  
The CHUD shifted, blurred, and shrank down into the form of Adrian Cobretti clad in battle armor. "Something or someone is watching us."  
"I don't see anything. Did you see or smell anything?"  
Adrian shook his head. "Probably nothing." He turned away and returned to the war machine without further comment.  
  
Someone was indeed watching them. Deep in the heart of the desert known as the Sands of Time, hidden beneath its constantly shifting sands lay a vastly different realm. A network of chambers whose decorations were a throwback to a distant time before the arrival of the Evil Horde, the rise of the Snake Men, or the reign of King Grayskull.  
Tapestries hung on rock walls smoothed by magic. Sculptures, statues, and busts made of marble memorializing people long dead littered rooms and hallways. Evenly spaced in the rooms and corridors were torches in sconces lit with magical fire giving them an eerie almost sorrowful air.  
In a chamber built specifically for working magic, the realm's sole occupant bent of a pool of water six feet in diameter and four feet tall. Shelves full of ancient volumes kept as new as if they had just been printed or written in through magical spells lined the walls floor to high ceiling.  
The unnaturally young-looking woman tucked a lock of white hair behind one ear as she watched the events unfolding in the magical pool. Her purple silk dress whispered softly when she shifted. She watched the starship Eternia make its drop run, the re-entry of the earth flying machines, and the trek of their vehicles through the Evergreen Forest.  
"Welcome home, te lynia. Many changes have taken place while you've been away. Though I doubt you will like many of them," she commented, her words being projected to the Sorceress as well.  
She smiled slightly at the Sorceress' telepathic rude reply. "It seems you have picked up a few bad habits from your new friends. I approve."  
Another rude telepathic reply arrived from the Sorceress.  
"Now, now. Is that any way to greet your old friend after all this time?" The pale- complexioned woman listened to her old friend's next reply intently. "Really! I'm fairly certain that is an anatomical impossibility. No matter, my dear. I had thought you'd have sensed my observations. Pity. Your shape-changing friend seems to have noticed." She paused to consider the implications. "Very interesting. We shall meet later. Until then, mez lynia."  
  
Of all the people to make first contact with, why did it have to be with her? Sorceress ground her teeth in irritation at the thought of meeting her again. As if she didn't have enough on her mind already.  
Adrian returned to his vehicle, powered it up, and drove into the clearing. Colonel Markson waved the APC forward, electing to walk the remaining few meters into the area where they would set up base camp until they gained entry to Castle Grayskull. Ninety minutes after parking off to the side of the clearing, a parameter was set up, watch schedule drafted, and rations broken out for the troops.  
Adrian and Jake inspected the electrical systems of their new toy. The weapons console developed a few glitches from the drop that needed investigating. They also discovered another ability their armor had when they complained about not being able to get their fingers into a few places while wearing gauntlets. Their suits further reduced themselves to six- pointed star pendants three inches across with a radiating sapphire crystal in the center hanging from a thick silver rope chain.  
"Is there anything these suits can't do?" Brad asked Sorceress later over dinner.  
The six gathered in a circle at the left rear wheel assembly. Jeromy stoked a small fire to cook their meal over. He'd somehow smuggled a few spices along, not that it helped much, but, then, anything was an improvement over the standard boxed rations.  
"Their abilities appear to have limits," Sorceress replied. "We will discover them, eventually." She betrayed none of the unease she felt about finally being here on her homeworld. Or the unease concerning the person she'd already met.  
Jeromy snorted. "Maybe they can cook dinner. There is only so much I can do with this."  
"Smells all right," Jake replied.  
"Smell and taste do not always go hand-in-hand, Jake," Adrian replied casually. He rested against the massive wheel staring up at the unfamiliar stars twinkling in the blackness above.  
Jake grunted, jerking a finger at Adrian, and saying to Sorceress, "There is a guy who knows how to cook. Me, on the other hand? I can burn water with the best of them."  
Sorceress smiled thinly. "My cooking skills are sadly lacking. I would occasionally dabble, but magic is a much better tool. Your world has taught me that some of the finest things are best done by hand." She leaned a little closer to ward away a chill only she could feel. "And I have burning water down to a science."  
A shared chuckle helped loosen the tension somewhat. Jeromy stirred what could very loosely be called a beef stew. The spices made it a little more bearable. Bland with spice, Jake called it. Though the taste left much to be desired, everyone emptied their bowls. When the dirty dishes were cleared away and cleaned in a nearby brook, the Guardians settled down around their dying fire.  
Adrian resumed his place leaning against the massive wheel. Sorceress sat next to him, having seen his apparent interest in the constellations, and began pointing a few of Eternian ones out for him. While they conversed quietly, Jake broke out a deck of cards, and engaged Jeromy, Sonya, and Brad in a game of poker. Other groups formed around the vehicles after getting hot meals from the few cook fires Colonel Markson allowed.  
"One world fighting for the freedom of all," Brad snorted. "And ours is starting to get divided on the issue"  
"One for all," Adrian replied.  
"Until all are one," the Guardians chanted without missing a beat.  
An uneasy silence settled on the small camp. Adrian paused in his stargazing. Brad paused in the process of dealing out a new hand of cards. All six wondered where that had come from. Most likely it was some racial memory from the previous Guardians whose essence had been stored in the computers of their power armor. Each person was still trying to wade through the veritable river of memories, emotions, and experiences from another time. Another life. Shaking the moment off, the six returned to their activities. It would be some time before they figured out what the phrases they had spoken really meant.  
Before long, people began nodding off while the watch changed every two hours. Adrian didn't know when he dozed off, but he snapped awake when he sensed something or someone approaching. Cracking open his eyes, Adrian slowly shifted to see what it was. Colonel Markson and Corporal Frost finally found their little camp. The men sauntered over wearing grins people just naturally wanted to remove with a fist.  
"What's the matter? The six of you suddenly too good to eat with the rest of us?" the colonel replied blithely.  
"Bite me," Adrian shot back softly.  
Frost appeared with a couple blankets. "I win the bet, Colonel." Frost expertly covered Sorceress without rousing her.  
Colonel Markson's grin turned into a scowl. "How'd you know he would say that? Unless you set me up?"  
Frost took on a hurt demeanor. "Would I do a thing like that?" he asked innocently.  
"Would you two take this somewhere else?" Adrian cut in. "Some of us are trying to sleep here." He glanced around the circle as people stirred. "Why me?" "Why not?" Frost replied, and the colonel agreed. "Better you than Jake. Those Army pukes are just too loud." Colonel Markson would have taken offense if he cared.  
"You both can bite me," Adrian shot back acidly.  
"C'mon, Frost," Markson said, waving the man away.  
If he wasn't an officer...Adrian thought darkly. After the pair walked out of sight continuing their rounds, Adrian's thoughts turned to the beautiful woman sound asleep a short distance away. What do you see in a guy like me, anyway? 


	9. Ch 08

EIGHT 

Palace Eternia

4 June 2017

Hissing sounds were the first thing to break through to Adrian Cobretti's fog-filled brain. He remained perfectly still while trying to swim back to the surface of full consciousness. Bright light tried to penetrate stubborn eyelids, though he did not flitch. Wherever he was, Adrian sensed he was slouched in some kind of chair. He maintained a steady rhythmic breathing while taking stock of his hurts. Bruises dotted his body. The worst were centered on his chest and back.

"Hey. I think he'sssssss awake. _Hisssssss,_" Something hissed close by.

"Check," something else hissed back.

Memories began to flood Adrian's mind when a scaly hand grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and began shaking him. "I'm awake," he croaked, mouth and throat dry as the Sahara Desert.

"Sssssssounds a little dry," the snake out sight to Adrian's left replied. "Give him thisssssss."

Another Snake Man colored several shades of green and looking like a bipedal cobra bobbled over bearing a goblet. The creature extended the clawed hand holding the goblet out to Adrian. Adrian cautiously took the goblet amid assurances that it was only water, sniffed it, then it raised to his lips. He didn't get more than a taste when a fist smashed into his left cheek sending the goblet flying.

"HA! So much for Rongar'ssssssss warning about thessssse humans being dangerous," the snake hissed with pleasure. "Reflexes are not very good, either."

Adrian spat blood, but no loose teeth. _Musta pulled his punch_, he mused. "I've lost my cup. May I have another?"

The snake that had struck him looked amazed. The creature almost couldn't believe what he'd heard. Shaking off his shock, the biped snake took a second goblet from his companion and handed it to Cobra.

Adrian raised it halfway to his lips and paused. "You do that again, and I'll kill you."

The snake was, of course, unconvinced. As Adrian took a sip, the creature once again snapped out a fist that dealt Adrian a punishing blow. Once again the goblet skittered away. Once again Adrian spat blood.

"Two!" the Snake Man declared triumphantly. That triumph turned to shock, concern, and finally outright terror.

Adrian bolted from the simple wooden armchair as if shot from a cannon. The creature stood rooted in place, mesmerized the human's right arm suddenly changing shape. From shoulder to fingertips the right arm turned brackish and became segmented. Twin bone claws snapped out from under the forearm carapace. Before the cobra-like creature could react, Adrian slammed them up under the vulnerable jaw. The tips of the hardened weapons exploded from the top and back of the head killing the Snake Man instantly.

The dead snake's companion backed away in terror. In an instant, hunter had just become hunted. Adrian jerked his arm down dragging the claws out of his victim. The corpse dropped to dead knees and toppled backward as he turned to the only other target in range. Gore dripped from bone shafts as he advanced on the skittish creature.

"Impressive," a voice full of authority and sounding very ancient, replied. "Most impressive."

"My Lord!" the trembling Snake Man gasped. "He…he…"

"Yes. He did so quite effortlessly."

"Well, don't get all mushy over your loss," Adrian growled dangerously.

"He was always arrogant. Not a failing trait in my minions, but it does have its drawbacks at times," King Hiss conceded.

Adrian got his first real look at the leader of the ruthless Snake Men. In his humanoid form, the creature stood over seven feet in height, taller than General Rongar. His body was clothed in armor one would expect of a ruler such as him, colored in two shades of green protecting a physically powerful body. A plain golden helmet framed angular features complete with vertical slits in red eyes.

"Indeed. So what do you want to gab about, snake face?" Adrian replied, glancing at the cowering minion, who couldn't remove his eyes from Adrian's transformed arm.

The leader of the Snake Men cocked his head slightly to one side. "I am King Hiss." He gestured to another warrior who entered what Adrian now saw was the throne room of Palace Eternia. "That is Snake Face."

Adrian remembered seeing pictures of this creature. Small snakes would slither out of its eye sockets, nose, and mouth when it put its particular ability in use. Snake Face had the power of the Medusa. The effect could be temporary or permanent depending on what Snake Face wished.

Adrian shrugged absently, letting his arm return to normal. "Whatever." His gaze continued to take in the surroundings. The room was more open and airy than the pictures he'd seen. No doubt this was due to the assault years ago and subsequent remodeling. The thrones remained at the north end of the chamber atop a dais. Thick timbers more then ten feet up supported the weight of the domed ceiling and stabilized the ring of pillars forming the new outer wall. A red curtain blanketed a twenty-foot area of the east wall that billowed occasionally on the slight breeze blowing in.

"You impress me, for a human," King hiss began. "Leaving your camp was a missssstake. However, you managed to kill seven of my warriors before they subdued you and the Sorceress. While I would normally have you consumed for your actions, I am always in need of good warriors."

_Oh, this is rich,_ Adrian thought. "Are you offering me a job?"

"I can use someone of your skills," King Hiss admitted. "There is a growing rebellion on this planet and your ability to change form could help me toward rooting out the insurgents. Whenever my warriors appear, they disappear to cause trouble somewhere else."

"And if I decide to be a part of your problem instead of your solution?" Adrian inquired politely.

Hiss' features took on a predatory appearance. "Then you will be food for my army."

Adrian appeared to consider the option. "Where is the Sorceress?" he asked abruptly.

Hiss was caught off guard by the question. "Why do you want to know about her?"

"I have a soft spot for birds," Adrian responded. "You want to know my answer to your offer? Show me the Sorceress first."

Hiss considered the request; decided the probable answer was worth the wait, and parted the curtain with a wave of his hand. Suspended between to pillars was the Sorceress of Grayskull. She hung listless supported only by the manacles locked around her wrists. The connecting chains were drawn taunt spreading the woman's arms wide. Someone had also seen fit to replace the black and gray jumpsuit with the costume Adrian had first seen her wearing on Earth.

On closer inspection, Adrian found the reason for her unresponsive condition. Two puncture marks on the right thigh crusted with blood and radiating a spider web of venom tracks outward was the cause. Hiss had bitten her or one of his minions.

Sorceress moaned weakly. Incredible pain was etched on her features mingling with the faint tracks forming as the venom slowly continued destroying her one piece at a time. As if the cellular degeneration hadn't been enough, this appeared a thousand times worse.

Seeing her like this sent a shiver down Adrian's spine, but he recovered quickly. "Your doing?" he asked the towering ruler of the Snake Men.

"Such is the fate of all who challenge the might of the Snake Men," King Hiss rumbled.

_Bad blood here. Not a good sign,_ Adrian thought. "Of course. Her return is a threat to your dominion. Might lead to more rebellious acts," Adrian surmised aloud. "Can't have that." He strode past the Snake Men as he continued to fill in the blanks. "However, have you considered the possible wealth of information you are throwing away? Think of the knowledge about my world and my friends she is privy to."

"True. But, then, there is you."

His pacing caused the sniveling Snake Man who had survived earlier to scurry out of range. "Quite right. However, after seeing what you have done to the Sorceress," Adrian replied, pausing to look Hiss in the eye, "you can go to Hell." He swung away and made for the towering double doors with all the imperiousness of a ruler.

General Rattlor stepped out from behind a pillar, caught up to the arrogant human with three easy strides and clubbed him unconscious. "Shall we feed the massssessss, My Lord?"

King Hiss shook his head. "No. Let's see what we can take from his mind first. Then feast on him."

Rattlor grinned at that. "As you command."

Evergreen Forest

Near Castle Grayskull

4 June 2017

Corporal Frost and several privates emerged from the trees two hours after they left the camp. All wore dismayed looks. Frost in particular looked distressed.

"Well, don't keep me in suspense," Colonel Markson prodded when the ebony man fidgeted. "Out with it."

"We found signs of a struggle. Four dead Snake Men all with double puncture marks to the head."

"Bone claws?" Markson asked, and Frost nodded.

"We also found signs of two bodies being dragged a short distance before we figured they were finally picked up and carried away." Frost sighed heavily.

Several people had told him the Sorceress mentioned needing to see Castle Grayskull. Shortly after she disappeared into the trees, Adrian followed presumably to keep her out of trouble. Little did anyone know trouble waited patiently at the edge of the forest.

Markson thought hard about the possible implications of the pair being tortured by the Snake Men for information. They couldn't gain access to Castle Grayskull, their only real haven, without the Sorceress. Something else nagged at him from the back of his mind. Something he overlooked. Jon sat at the bank of display screens and computers inside the carrier and scrolled through the maps of Eternia. Said maps were current as of two Earth years ago, and Sorceress doubted much had changed in that time after looking them over. According to her, little of this area has changed in the past fifty years, or so.

Jon had no idea how he sat staring at blankly at the screen before the nagging feeling finally hit him. Slowly straightening in his seat, Jon kept his eyes riveted to a spot on the map, lest he lose sight of it and has to search all over again.

"Lieutenant Garber," Colonel Markson called out carefully.

The sounds of boots on the deck coming his direct from somewhere in the rear of the carrier announced the man's approach. "Sir?"

Colonel Markson placed a finger to a spot on what the map listed as the Fertile Planes. "This is where we're going. Let's get the camp broken down and get out of here before King Hiss decides to send a proper welcoming party.

Lieutenant Garber squinted at the display for a few moments, whirled about and began shouting orders. Within thirty minutes, all the gear was packed up and the area policed for any evidence of their presence. Jake Rockwell drove the War Machine in the lead heading for the location Colonel Markson picked out.

The trip took over three hours to get out of the Evergreen Forest, and another four getting to the caverns shown on the map southwest of Palace Eternia. If it hadn't been for the fact they knew they were on an alien world, the Earthers would have sworn they were traveling through the American Midwest. Several small farming villages were spotted at a distance with optical scanners. Colonel Markson made sure it stayed that way.

Jake found an entrance big enough to allow five carriers to pass through side by side. The vehicles slowed to a stop fifty meters inside. Alpha and Charlie platoons scrambled down the aft ramp, Alpha to the carrier's right while Charlie went left. Both platoons broke up into squads and spread out deeper into the cavern.

Colonel Markson led the way with Jake, Sonya, and Brad flanking him. Reports from the other squads filtered in quietly over the tactical net. There was lots of empty space, hiding places, nooks and crannies for motion sensors, and plenty of fighting room. Once the area was secured out to a radius of one hundred meters, the vehicles were advanced further into the caverns. Shoulder lights provided illumination when they were in far enough where light from outside could not reach.

Motion sensors, cameras, and audio probes were strategically placed as they went to give as much early warning as possible. Eventually, after another three tense hours of slow searching, the group halted less than a kilometer from Palace Eternia. An opening less than half the size of the one they entered hours before lay roughly two hundred meters to the north and west of their position.

"I don't like this, sir," Lieutenant Garber replied nervously. "It's too quiet."

"I know," Colonel Markson answered. "We may have been spotted. Then again, maybe not."

"Good strategy, Colonel," Jake replied. "Sneaking in on them while they search for us out there."

"Hiss would think us insane to attack his seat of power directly or otherwise," Frost added.

"Hiss only thinks of us as food," Sonya said. She had been grumpy ever since the Sorceress and Adrian disappeared.

Markson set up a watch detail, ordered motion detectors and other sensors placed, and put together a volunteer team to scout deeper into the caverns to find a way into the palace the Snake Men hopefully knew nothing about. He hated the time it was taking to get into position and set up, but it was necessary. He had no idea what to expect inside the palace. Nor how many of the enemy lurked within. As Frost's scouting party disappeared into the inky darkness, Colonel Markson wondered if he would see any of them alive again.

Palace Eternia

4 June 2017

Adrian felt like his head had been ripped apart an itty, bitty piece at a time and then put back together again. Only it hadn't been pieced together quite right. His soul had been laid bare before his interrogators. Something called a…a… Adrian couldn't seem to remember what they called the machine he'd been strapped into. At the moment he could barely remember he was of a species called Human.

"You'll want to lie there a while longer before trying to get up," a voice spoke quietly from somewhere off to his right.

Adrian felt all right despite the torture he had endured. Heedless of the advice, Adrian attempted to rise. He didn't even clear his shoulder blades from the hard stone surface upon which he lay. Lightning bolts of pain lanced through his brain in such a rapid fire as to seem like one perpetual strike. He collapsed quicker than he tried getting up.

The voice chuckled dryly. "Men. Always thinking they are so tough. So brave. So afraid to let their feelings show. So afraid to show weakness."

"Now you're getting nasty," Adrian croaked. "You always insult people you meet for the first time?"

The voice chuckled again this time right next to his ear. "Depends on the person," the voice Adrian now could identify as female replied in a husky tone.

Adrian cracked open his eyes, now that the pain had abated to an annoying throb. The light in the chamber he figured had to be a dungeon cell was not as intense as he first feared, but it wasn't dim either. A face swam into view before him. A youthful female face on the verge of becoming a woman framed with long, brown hair, sculpted with high cheekbones, and set with a firm sensuous mouth, and clear green eyes stared back at him. There was an unmistakable hint of amusement reflected in those eyes.

"Nice to see you. Do you have a name? Or was that overlooked at your birth?"

"Adrian," he replied. Grimacing against the pain, Adrian once again attempted to sit up. This time he would not stop until he was upright. Amazingly, his cellmate helped in the endeavor. Once up right with his back to the cold stone, and his vision clearing again, Adrian could see the girl before him was barely clad in what appeared to be brick red metal covering all the right places. He could also see that despite the youthful appearance, the girl was no girl. She was a woman; lean muscled, and possessed a figure men would kill to be close to. Her smile was like a ray of sunshine in their dismal surroundings.

The moment passed as quickly as it came.

"My name is Anyssa."

A tormented howl snapped Adrian's attention to the locked cell door.

"They call it a mind sifter. That's why you feel like you do. It ripped images and memories from your mind," Anyssa explained grimly. "It is very effective."

Adrian struggled to his feet. He leaned on the cold gray stone until his equilibrium stabilized, then took a few tentative steps toward the door. Anyssa remained crouched in place.

The cell door was formidable. Eternian steel, or something close to it. A small barred window was set near the top at about eye level to the average human. Adrian could not see much beyond except inky darkness and the sounds of men and women screaming as the mind sifter ripped their brains apart. He rapped his knuckles on the barrier several times. A very sturdy door. Adrian wagered his Alien form, even that of the CHUD or syngenor could easily rip the door from its hinges. Now was not the time, however.

"It'll take more than your puny male muscles to get through that," Anyssa observed from behind.

Adrian knowing grin was hidden from her. "Oh, you'd be surprised at what this particular male can do."  
Anyssa cocked her head to one side, incredulous. "Care to share? We appear to have plenty of time."

Turning away from the door, Adrian replied, "Oh, no. I want it to be a surprise."

Anyssa's face lit up with false amusement. "Oh, I _like_ surprises."

Adrian chose a stop along the opposite wall and sat down. He was trying to keep his distance from this rather forward female without looking like he was trying to keep his distance. Mentally, he assembled a rough estimate of when a rescue party was likely to arrive. A tough job since he didn't know what time it was, or how long he'd been away.

Absently, Adrian rubbed the medallion hanging from his neck. It began to glow dully in the half-light. Anyssa inquired about the nature of the thing, since she had heard the snakes grumbling about receiving electric shocks when they tried to remove it, but Adrian refused to elaborate, so she let the matter drop.

Tormented screams from down the corridor broke the silence that fell between them.

General Rattlor reviewed the recordings ripped from Adrian Cobretti's brain for the third time. King Hiss and Evil-Lyn had already seen them hours ago and could not reach a conclusion. Images of times long past flashed across the screen. Though the sound was turned off, the occasional rumblings from the gathered snake warriors broke the silence, and the odd painful moan from the Sorceress as King Hiss' venom continued to slowly destroy her from within.

"Now _he_ showed promise," Rattlor mused, seeing the historical images from Earth's World War II of Adolph Hitler. Images continued to scroll through different time periods. Rattlor came to the conclusion this human had an interest in certain periods in his planet's history.

"This Sun Tzu must have been a great warrior to be so revered by them," a snake man commented.

Rattlor grunted. The part in the recordings scrolled by that would have detailed the formation of the Guardian Force the images grew fuzzy and indistinct. Despite the power used in wrenching the information from Adrian's mind, something interfered with the mind sifter. And there was that blasted medallion both he and the Sorceress wore which issued potent electric shocks when someone tried to remove them.

Growing tired of this pointless endeavor, Rattlor took the gathered warriors on an inspection of all the guard stations.

Minutes after the group left, a shadow detached itself from the inky blackness around the throne room entrance. The shadow crept cautiously along the wall, pausing periodically to wait out the passing of the roving snake patrols.

Sorceress moaned from the pain she continued to endure. King Hiss' venom coursed through her veins like a lava flow. Her eyelids cracked just enough to allow her pain-wracked brain to see indistinct shadows in the flickering light thrown off by the torches mounted in sconces on every third pillar.

The shadow grew more distinct as it approached the chained woman. Torches on the pillars she hung between threw off enough light to see the veins standing out on the Sorceress' face and bare legs. The lone figure quietly approached the dying woman one tentative step at a time. As it closed on the prisoner, the form resolved into a slim woman in her mid twenties.

The woman stood there on the edge of the pool of yellow light waiting for the other to notice. It took an agonizing few minutes in which the she contemplated saying something, but decided to wait. Finally sensing she wasn't alone, the Sorceress shifted her head from its resting place on her right bicep. It felt to her like it was filled with lead, but she managed somehow to raise it and squint at the shadowed woman standing before her.

Teela stepped out of the darkness once she was sure she had the Sorceress' attention. She had left the snake armor behind in her quarters, and now wore the white, short-skirted outfit she was normally seen in.

"Teela," Sorceress whispered through dry and cracked lips.

"Hello, _mother_."


	10. Ch 09

NINE 

Palace Eternia

Lower Levels

4 June 2017

It didn't take long to discover the access point into the lowest levels of the palace from the caverns. Frost's party quickly secured the area, set a tiny locator beacon, and marked the location on the map in their wrist computers.

"Location secure. Proceeding as planned," Frost replied softly into his comm mic. A double click was his only response. He motioned for the others to move out.

Catherine O'Rourke stayed close to the jittery Andre Wardman. Their job was to find a computer core, tap into it, and see what useful information they copy from it. The rest of the team would rescue Adrian Cobretti and the Sorceress; which would create a useful diversion to ensure O'Rourke and Wardman had as much time as possible.

No one had been in this part of the palace in a very long, and the amount of upkeep evident supported that theory. Every fourth light bar in the ceiling was lit. Corrosion spotted the walls and the conduits running along them. There was only enough room to advance single file because of the amount of piping conduits stacks in metal braces floor to ceiling and four deep at each level. Pale yellow light from above cast pools with long dark stretches.

Shoulder-mounted halogen lights dispelled some of the oppressive blackness, but not enough to make the tense humans feel calmer. They were essentially in the enemy's sub basement, never mind the back yard. Avoiding Hiss' forces at this moment was vital until the rest of the platoons got into position.

The corridor ended in a rusting stairwell leading upwards. Frost led his group of six cautiously up to the next sub level. No tracks were used because he feared even the quiet _thump-thump_ of the senor waves would attract undue attention. He was proceeding on the assumption snake men had acute hearing. If so, they could be found out at any moment.

The next level proved to be in the same condition as the one they just left. Even so, they progressed as if the enemy waiting just out of sight. The slow advance consumed precious time, but this entire rescue depended upon the element of surprise. At Sub Level Three they discovered the power core and transfer stations for the palace's entire power distribution network. The older dungeon block was also on that level. Frost sent O'Rourke and Wardman off in search of the main computer core that was also located somewhere within the labyrinth of chambers.

Consulting his wrist computer, Frost planned out the next step in the search. He didn't know where to find the Sorceress, but he was fairly certain he'd find Adrian in the dungeons. Either the old stone dungeons built at the same time the palace had, or in the newer sophisticated one. Frost decided to try to old dungeons first since they were closer.

"Okay," Frost said to the remaining three members of his team. "Let's do it."

Four humans spread out in pairs using hand signals for communication. Catwalks criss-crossed the entire chambers whose boundaries were impossible to see. They gave the incredibly large power core at the level's center a wide berth as they crossed what turned out to be a gigantic chamber. The old dungeons were located on the far side in a northeasterly direction. They heard the screams fifty meters from the entrance to the old dungeons. Frost shivered at the sounds of those tormented souls. Each summoned their courage and snapped one by one through the portal into the ancient part of Palace Eternia.

Mother and daughter eyed one another for the first time with the secret the Sorceress had kept for so very long. Teela's eyes were unreadable while the Sorceress' reflected the wildfires coursing through her veins.

"How…did…you find out? Duncan?" Sorceress said, summoning all her strength to speak loud enough to be heard.

Teela snorted. "My _father_ died the second year after He-Man left to fight the mutants in the future. With He-Man gone there was no one to stand against King Hiss' snake army. Many good men and women died trying"

The bitterness was unmistakable. Teela had never known her biological father. When the Sorceress could not care for her and guard the secrets of Grayskull at the same time, Duncan took her and raised her as his very own. It had been the most painful and saddest moment in the Sorceress' long life.

"No," Teela replied sadly. A solitary tear ran down her left cheek. "I went back to the Oracle of the Crystal Sea. Imagine my surprise when it showed me what I suspected a long time ago. How the last time I went to see the oracle it did show me my mother. And how you wiped those memories from my mind except for the knowledge of how much you loved me." She shook her head trying to hold back the torrent. Her heart ached, torn between her love for this woman despite all that had happened, and the anger at the knowledge having been concealed though for a very good reason.

"I have always loved you. And I am proud of you," Sorceress managed say. It was taking all her strength, but she needed to say it.

Teela snorted, exasperated by the irony of her mother's statement. "Proud? After you, He-Man, and Skeletor disappeared, King Hiss took advantage of the situation and unleashed his snake army. Their rampage lasted for weeks. Many good men and women died fighting them. In the end all I could do was sue for peace. The price of that was to marry him and his army would limit the damage their feeding frenzies would cause.

"Then He-Man shows up five years later broken and reclusive. It took everything I had and that of the Masters still alive to convince him to take up the fight once more. We hit Hiss' weakened forces hard. We won, but took casualties. Then Catra shows up with her fleet. Evidently King Hiss choked on his ego and called for help. We lost in half the time it took to defeat Hiss' army. So once again I am trying to keep the snake army from totally destroying the human population in revenge."

"The tide has shifted," Sorceress replied weakly. "My companions-"

"Spare me, mother. I know about your new friends. They are one planet against an empire. You know as well as I they haven't a chance." Teela stepped close to the helpless woman, whispering, "What can they possibly offer us? Hmm? What can they offer a galaxy subjugated by the Horde? He-Man fell. She-Ra fell. Most of their friends and allies are dead, imprisoned Elders–know-where, or are hiding. So tell me: what do your new friends have to offer?"

For the first time since Hiss bit her, the Sorceress' eyes were clear of the pain ravaging her body. She lifted her head and stared deep into her daughter's eyes. "Hope."

Teela had no response to that. Her heart was suddenly torn between wanting to believe this woman, and the cold hard reality of the current state of affairs in the galaxy. "No. There is no hope left in the galaxy," Teela choked. She turned and fled as the tears started to flow freely down her cheeks.

Sorceress slumped once more in her bonds, her strength gone.

Evil-Lyn had observed the entire episode from across the chamber. She had taken up station behind a pillar to watch. Though she couldn't hear a single word despite the good acoustics, Lyn thought Teela held some sort of place in her heart for the Sorceress. Most people did. This appeared to be something more.

_Never mind about that, my daughter,_ a familiar voice spoke in the witch's mind.

Sighing, Evil-Lyn took one last disdainful look at Hiss' dying prisoner, and turned away. _No one should have to suffer like that no matter what side they are on,_ the witch thought. Bile welled up in her throatat the sight of people slowing being consumed by Hiss' venom. Evil-Lyn knew she was no sweetheart. There were simply some things even she could not stomach, much less condone.

Catherine towed her jittery companion through the maze of pipes, electrical conduits, and catwalks even on the lookout for a snake patrol. She knew they were nearing their target as the power conduits shank to sizes consistent with the power supplies for large computer cores. Though the design was very different from the core in the Horde battleship, Palace Eternia's computer core was no less impressive.

Towering banks filled with a rainbow of colored crystals two feet thick, fifteen feet long, and over twenty feet high filled a five-hundred-square-foot area tucked in the northeast corner of the gigantic power core chamber.

Without a word to one another, the pair set about opening access panels to expose the conduits they needed to tap into. This core was vastly different in terms of technology. It wasn't quite as neat and clean as the core on board the Horde battleship. While this one wasn't dirty, it just did not appear to be as well organized. Pulling fiber optic bundles out proved troublesome. Finding connectors was easy. Getting one's hand in to disconnect them was something else. The lighting inside the casing left much to be desired forcing the pair to use their shoulder lights, which hampered their efforts that much more.

Wardman sat back on his haunches and drew an arm across his sweating brow. All thoughts of being discovered my walking retiles briefly forgotten. "This is impossible." His dismayed look passed over the bird nest of cables; conduits and connectors pulled from the access panels. "I don't know if we can put this back like it was even if we do manage to get into the system."

"Then I'll make it easy," Catherine replied, snapping another connection into the computer hub. "We'll leave it." She grinned broadly, "Got it. We're in."

Wardman sidled around to observe without getting in her way. Catherine deftly manipulated the keyboard, eyes glued to the display. To Wardman, Catherine's invasion into the data system was like a delicate ballet between her hacking program and the security software. One hunted while the other sought to slip quietly past.

His job complete for the moment, the young ensign's thought turned to fears of sudden discovery by a roving snake patrol.

Frost and his companions stole into the dungeons like soundless wraiths covering one another as they advanced. They need not have worried about sound. Tortured screams covered their movements nicely. Dank musty air on the humid side wafted through the old stone corridors. The stench of fear, pain and death was everywhere.

"How are we going to find them in here?" Private Golden whispered into his helmet mike.

The duo flattened themselves against the wall as the others likewise disappeared abruptly. A squad of six shocktroopers marked down the corridor away from the torture chambers. They appeared to be heading in the direction of the cellblocks. Frost indicated with hand signs to follow them. The robots looked like they were in a hurry. There were only two prisoners Frost knew of that could draw that much haste. He hoped this would lead to at least one of them.

He wasn't far off, though the cells he could see into disturbed him greatly. Humans were packed into barred cells like cattle waiting for the slaughter. Moans, weak whimpering, and the odd disparaging cry of despair tore at Frost's heart. No one should be treated like this who didn't deserve it. Frost kept his people out of sight. He didn't want the prisoners to see him, gain sudden hope of freedom, and give him away to the shocktroopers.

The troopers marched to the end of the corridor and turned left. This was the area of solitary cells. Considering the haste of the robots, Frost decided to gamble and waved his people forward. They advanced hushing the suddenly hopeful and muttering prisoners. This may be their only chance to free one of their comrades. Best to take advantage of it while there were only a couple robots to deal with.

Adrian didn't look up when the heavy door was unbarred and slammed open. Two shocktroopers stepped inside, weapons raised.

"On your feet, human," one trooper ordered, gesturing with its laser rifle.

The other troopers stepped forward and nudged him roughly with the muzzle of its weapon. "On you feet," the robot ordered.

"Don't touch me," Adrian snarled quietly. Anyssa stayed away per his request, though she clearly did not understand why.

Quickly tiring of prodding the uncooperative human, one trooper stepped closer to jerk him to his feet by grabbing a shoulder. The instant the hand landed, Adrian exploded into action. Anyssa was struck dumb as her cellmate's arms transformed into larger, brackish carapace-like appendages. Bone claws snapped out to spear the robots through the chest. Deftly, Adrian snapped the claws back into his arms and snatched the rifle from the toppling robot on his right. Adrian stepped past the dead robots and added to their fall with elbow shoves. Completing the transformation to inhuman monster, Adrian stepped into the corridor, laser rifle leading the way.

Frost and his companions crept up on the target cell, weapons ready, and nerves strung tight. When the creature stepped from the cell the group almost fired out of reflex because the thing looked like a shocktrooper at first glance. Likewise, Adrian almost fired because he feared more robots waiting outside. Both sides snapped their weapons upward simultaneously.

Reverting to human form, Adrian growled, "You're late."

"Traffic," Frost growled back.

The pair played the situation off as if it had all been a part of some sort of pre-arranged plan, which it most certainly was not. Anyssa thought she was just beginning to understand Adrian and his people through the long talked they had shared. No upon seeing more of his companions, she started to rethink what she thought she knew.

Frost whistled appreciatively when Anyssa cautiously stepped from the cell, the other shocktrooper's weapon clutch in her slim hands.

"Umm, that's not the Sorceress," the ebony-skinned soldier replied in a hushed tone.

"Well, at least your eyesight hasn't deteriorated," Adrian replied. He introduced Anyssa to his companions. "Anyssa, this is Corporal Frost. Frost. Anyssa."

"Charmed," Frost said absently. "Where's the Sorceress?"

Adrian shrugged. "Last I saw she was in chained up in the palace throne room. She wasn't in very good shape. She looked like Hiss bit her."

Anyssa had been trying to inject something into the conversation, but Frost kept waving her away. Now, she jumped in forcefully. "Listen! If Adrian is right, and the Sorceress _has_ been bitten, she doesn't have much time left. Adrian told me about her mysterious ailment. Hiss' venom will only compound the problem and kill her that much quicker."

"That's all great and fine, but we are not familiar with the palace layout. We could stumble around here for hours and never find the throne room," Frost replied angrily. "We've wasted enough time as it is getting in here."

Anyssa's features hardened into the mask of a veteran warrior. "Then you have another problem." She indicated the rows of cells and hushed, but excited voices coming from within. "You can't leave them behind."

Adrian and his companions exchanged grim looks.

"Look – " Frost started.

"No! You look! The Snake Men feed on raw flesh. _Freshly killed_ raw flesh. You starting to get the picture?" Anyssa snapped.

"Food," Adrian interjected.

"We don't have the time or the capabilities to get them out. The best we can do is get some out and hope to come back for the rest." Frost said, heart suddenly tearing over the grim decision at hand.

"And just how do we do that? Ask them to draw straws?" Adrian shook his head. "I need to find the Sorceress. Let Markson figure this out."

"I know the way, but we need to find the armory first. I need my weapons." Anyssa stared off for the exit from the grim dungeon. She paused at the end of the dimly lit corridor to pointedly stare back at Adrian.

Sighing heavily, Frost said, "Go. I'll catch up after I tell the colonel."

Catherine O'Rourke and Andre Wardman completed their raid on the palace computers just as Colonel Markson began moving Alpha platoon into the dungeons. The pair listened quietly to Frost's report over the tac net, and the colonel's fuming over the complication posed by the imprisoned civilians they could not leave behind.

Colonel Markson led Alpha platoon into the dungeons with the intent of saving as many people as he could while Sergeant Parks led Beta platoon to the massive hangar area where Lieutenant Garber and Jake Rockwell would be making their rather loud entrance to retrieve Beta platoon plus whomever else made it there. Markson would then lead the freed prisoners into the caverns where he hoped to evade pursuit.

They probably didn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of pulling it off, but leaving these people to their fate was something Colonel Markson just could not due despite he gruff complaints. He knew it had to be done. Those under his command knew that he knew. All they could do was make it happen. Before ducking through the doorway leading into the fetid dungeons, Colonel Markson paused long enough to watch O'Rourke and Wardman disconnect their equipment, pack it up, and head off in the direct Beta platoon took. Once assured the pair was safely away with their stolen information, Markson put on his game face, and joined his troops.

Corporal Frost had already departed to catch up to Adrian and his new friend. The rest of Frost's team was busy opening cells and gesturing for the prisoners to come out. Markson couldn't understand half of what the freed people were saying despite the Sorceress' assurances the planet's standard language was something remarkably similar to Earth's English.

Disheveled, unwashed, and miserable men, women, and even a few frightened children shuffled past their saviors. Alpha platoon guided the wretches in the direction of the caverns. The soldiers silently hoped whatever Adrian had in mind to do getting the Sorceress free would wait long enough to get all these poor people safely away. Everyone knew that would only happen in a perfect world. This one was far from that.

"Keep them moving," Markson spoke quietly into his helmet mike. _Whatever it is you have in mind, Cobra, just give us a few more minutes before unleashing World War Three,_ he prayed silently.

Summer Throne Room

Palace Eternia

4 June 2017

Adrian was having problems on the way to the Royal Hall. His thoughts grew disjointed, jumbled, like a television channel constantly changing every few seconds. Fortunately, his subconscious mind could maintain the shape of the Alien he was using to scale the near shear walls of the corridors and the exterior surfaces. He darted among the shadows like a wraith searching for its prey. Death was on the prowl like the inevitability of the fall of night.

It took only a matter of minutes for him to locate the redesigned Royal Hall. Torches burned inside casting an eerie yellow-orange glow. The nightmare crawled around the exterior above the row of pillars looking for the ideal entry point. The eyeless head swung back and forth looking for hostiles in the immediate area. So far the alarm had yet to be raised. That would change after Adrian made his move.

The creature crawled up the dome's exterior to the top. It paused long enough to look to the east were the faint rays of light were just starting to glow. Dawn was not to far off. There wasn't much time left to rescue the Sorceress and get her to Grayskull. Their plan was about as seat-of-the-pants as you could get. The one thing they had going for them was the Snake Men believing these humans from Earth were not a threat. They were about to find out how wrong they were.

Adrian turned away from the encroaching dawn and set about finding the perfect spot from which to strike. He saw King Hiss sitting upon his throne with the human woman wearing the snake armor, the one identified as General Rattlor, and the witch Evil-Lyn. Two shocktroopers stood guard near the entrance with weapons braced across their chests.

Silent as the grave, the inhuman creature made its way over the lip of the dome with its open center giving an awesome view of the clear night sky. A network of beams kept the pillars supported as well as maintaining a proper base for the dome to rest upon. The creature darted soundlessly out across the thick beams in the direction of the Hiss' prisoner. The Sorceress looked a lot worst than when he'd seen her yesterday. Adrian could almost see the specter of Death waiting patiently in the background.

"I have waited a long time for this," Evil-Lyn whispered within earshot of the dying woman. "Now that the moment is at hand…"

"Does…this moment…give you…satisfaction?" Sorceress responded weakly.

Evil-Lyn pondered the question a moment. "It should. But it doesn't. No one should have to suffer like this."

"Enough!" King Hiss said, rising from the throne. "Dawn is nearly upon us. Finish this."

Evil-Lyn raised her right hand, the glow of her considerable magical power coming to bear. And yet, she hesitated. The Sorceress weakened as she was, curled her hands into fists, used the shackles to pull herself up straight, and stared Evil-Lyn down. Hiss was poised to threaten the witch with the same fate if she didn't comply when something plopped onto her left shoulder.

Annoyed at the sight of having her clothes soiled, Evil-Lyn scooped up a bit of the sticky goop with her right hand, sniffed the semi-translucent mucus. Cautiously, she turned her gaze upward – and nearly fainted. Perched upon the thick timber almost directly over her squatted a nightmare straight out of Hell. Translucent lips peeled back from razor teeth, which parted to reveal a second mouth. The thing hissed like some giant feline. Though it had no eyes to speak of that elongated head tracked the shocked witch as she backed away.

King Hiss stood rooted in place. Not out of fear, more like out of curiosity. He knew instantly whom it really was dropping soundlessly from the rafters between Evil-Lyn and the Sorceress. Though he was irritated over having the final demise of the Sorceress of Grayskull interrupted, King Hiss wondered once again what things his army could do with such a being leading the way. Hiss knew from the recordings taken by the mind sifter that Adrian Cobretti would never join the Snake Men. Ironically, the Serpent King considered that a waste.

Anyssa caught up to Frost short of the entrance to the throne room. She had stopped off at the armory to retrieve her sword, bow, and quiver. Those weapons were slung across her back in favor of a laser rifle. She also liberated several bandoliers of power cells. The pair slid up to the entrance from either side. The shocktroopers stationed just inside were clearly visible. Taking careful aim, Anyssa and Frost awaited Adrian's move.

They didn't have to wait long. Evil-Lyn's horrified gasp Jerked Anyssa'a attention to the spider-like creature perched in the rafters. It slid soundlessly to the floor keeping itself between the evil witch and the Sorceress. Frost risked a quick glance, nodded to his companion. The time was now.

Laser fire snapped Evil-Lyn around despite the hissing monstrosity advancing upon her. Both shocktroopers guarding the entrance collapsed from laser bolts fired near simultaneously. A black man and a warrior woman darting inside quickly followed those shots. Taking everything in at a glance, the pair slipped laterally along the wall to their right toward the prisoner chained between the pillars.

The alien monster took a step toward Evil-Lyn, but Rattlor's booming shout brought it around instantly.

"CHANGELING!" General Rattlor roared in challenge.

Adrian hissed in return, and easily leaped across the fifteen feet separating them. General Rattlor had prepared himself for such a move. He hadn't counted on the savagery of the bold attack, however, and both went down in a tangle of arms and legs. As the titans rolled away from Evil-Lyn they scratched and clawed at one another. The Alien's spiked tail thrashed about slamming against Rattlor's broad back to no avail. Finally, the serpent general wedged his feet up against the ribbed chest of his foe, and heaved with all his inhuman might. Rattler flung the creature a full thirty feet, and then some. It hit the polished marble hard cracking several thick tiles, and rolled to an abrupt halt at the dais steps. The spiked tail halted the roll by slamming its point into the stair King Hiss just happened to be standing on. Hiss merely watched the battle with mild interest, glancing momentarily at the tail imbedded in the carpeted stone step between his feet.

Frost squeezed off a burst from his pulse rifle at Evil-Lyn, who had started back toward the helpless Sorceress. Caseless titanium rounds bounced harmlessly off the hastily erected magic shield the witch threw up. The globe capping the scepter in her left hand glowed fiercely.

"Your pathetic weapons are no match for my power," Evil-Lyn sneered, eyes flashing.

Anyssa paused, laser rifle pointed in the witch's general direction.

"You still wish to challenge me?" the arrogant woman spat.

"Thinking about it," Anyssa responded. From the small of her back she pulled a throwing dagger constructed of Etherium. With a flip of the wrist, Anyssa grasped the blade, aimed, and let it fly.

The dagger tumbled end over end, struck the magic shield point-first, penetrated, and tumbled one more time before slamming into the globe capping Evil-Lyn's staff. The globe shattered on impact. Evil-Lyn stumbled backward more out of surprise than any real pain.

Frost slung his rifle and set to work. In moments, he had the Sorceress' ankles released. He was working on the manacles when Anyssa joined him. She kept a weary eye on the witch and her rifle at the ready.

"Where did you learn that?" Frost asked tightly. The manacle trapping the Sorceress' left wrist was giving him trouble.

"Simple physics, or so I'm told."

The left manacle finally released. Frost took the arm across his shoulders, and slipped his right arm around the woman's waist to support her. Using the carry strap to brace it, Frost brought the pulse rifle out. He couldn't fire accurately with the strap braced from the left shoulder, but he could lay down a titanium spray. Anyssa freed the other wrist in moments, took the arm across her shoulders and assisted Frost in guided the Sorceress out.

Rattlor quickly gained his feet and faced the most dangerous threat in the room. Evil-Lyn's staff exploded behind him, but he dared not remove his attention from this biomechanical monster even for an instant. Normally he didn't resort to such crude tactics, but the situation demanded it. The razor-sharp knife he rarely used was drawn now and brandished at the ready.

In response, Adrian shifted to another form. The Alien grew indistinct, blurry, reforming into something else. King Hiss grudgingly grew impressed with this human. That said a lot since He-Man hardly made a tenth of an impression on him. The transformation was completed in moments, leaving the towering bulk of a syngenor standing where the Alien once did. Bone claws snapped out from under the carapace covering the forearms as the creature moved to greet the bulky serpent general for the second round.

The titans launched at one another with cataclysmic force. Bone claws stabbed. Razor-sharp dagger flashed and darted. Muscled rippled. Challenges were roared and met by counter-roars. The humans were forced to the sidelines, as the entire throne room became the arena for battle. Inhuman muscles smashed and pounded trying to reduce their respective targets to putty.

Frost and Anyssa managed to make their way to the entrance. Frost had to shout to be heard over the cacophony of personal combat. "Save it! We have what we want. Let's go!"

Much as he wanted to finish this fight, from which only one could survive, the objective was what mattered. Adrian snapped Rattlor forward and just as quickly threw the suddenly of balance Snake Men away. But not without leaving a souvenir of the occasion. Adrian resumed human form before activating his armor by touching the glowing medallion hung around his neck.

General Rattlor rose to his feet once more ready for anything. Something wet trickled down his left cheek in tiny rivulets. Rattlor slapped a hand to the wetness. It came a green with his blood. Realizing the insult, Rattlor roared, "I will make you _suffer_ for this, human!"

Pointing with his plasma rifle, Adrian responded, "Then it begins."

He and his companions disappeared with the dying Sorceress of Grayskull. Snake Men charged into the throne room less than a minute after the humans had departed. More could be heard outside.

"Find those humans. Kill his companions, but I want the changeling alive so I can tear him apart with my bare hands!" General Rattlor roared, sending the arriving serpents scattering for their lives in the face of his unbridled rage.

Quietly, King Hiss returned to his throne. He didn't do too much about the battle or the rescue of the Sorceress, which surprised Evil-Lyn. She dared not say anything after seeing the look in the serpent king's eyes. King Hiss had really been studying the enemy. General Rongar tried to warn him about these people from Earth. Hiss grudgingly admitted that Rongar might have been right.

Turning to his pensive bride, Hiss purred, "Go and bring me their heads. Leave the shape-changer for General Rattlor. If the Sorceress still lives, I will cure her for you, lock her in falcon form, and you may have her as your pet."

Steeling herself, Teela rushed forward brushing past a fuming Evil-Lyn. Teela snapped out orders to the first Snake Man she saw, picking up a few shocktroopers along the way.

An unsettling silence fell upon the shattered throne room as King Hiss sorted out what was going on, and tried to fathom what the objective was these humans had in mind.

Near Palace Eternia

Lieutenant Garber and Jake Rockwell listened quietly to the tactical net for the moment when they were to strike. There was no set time. They just had to listen and hope they didn't miss it.

Alarms could be heard from Colonel Markson's open mike. "All right! That's it. We're outta here!" Colonel Markson ordered. "Alpha Team, move these people out. Beta Team, stand by at the rally point." There was a brief pause followed by a low grumble. "Why couldn't Cobra have waited just a few more minutes?"

Frost reported in he had the 'package,' and was on his way to the rally point. The sounds of laser fire and several explosions punctuated the background. There was also the unmistakable sound Cobretti discharging his plasma rifle.

The APC powered up at Garber's command. "Power up, Jake. We're rolling."

Jake flipped the power switches bringing the War Machine to life. Both vehicles tore off in unison, tires ripping up the prairie lands as they struggled for speed. In his magnified display Jake could see Snake Men running around the ramparts of the palace in confusion. Both vehicles were running dark, their drivers utilizing the starlight sensors for navigation. That gave them precious seconds to not only get up to speed, but to close the distance before the perimeter defenses could be brought to bear.

The Snake Men may have been in confusion due to the rescue of the Sorceress, but they didn't take long in seeing the alien vehicles speeding toward the palace on what was clearly an attack run. Blistering red laser bolts lanced down from batteries designed for a large-scale assault. Fiery mushroom clouds erupted along the track the assault vehicles followed. The explosions ripped the quiet night asunder shocking villages awake for miles in every direction.

Yellow-orange flashes rippled across the landscape in the wake of the hurtling machines. One came close enough to break the War Machine from contact with the ground. Jake fought the controls like a veteran rolling with the pitching, jumping, and swaying until the War Machine landed on all eight wheels once more.

Jake refocused on the massive hangar doors set in the south side of the mountain upon which the palace had been constructed. The heads-up display reflected the dwindling distance to target. Wings laying flat against the machine's flanks snapped out and twisted parallel to the ground. Brief flashes of energy gave birth to missile drums on pylons out near the tips. Missile racks formed on the inboard pylons, each loaded with four Hellfire missiles armed with plasma warheads.

Both vehicles made it to within five hundred yards of the massive hangar doors, close enough the laser batteries could not traverse low enough to continue firing at them. Jake got an immediate steady tone of a target lock, and mashed the firing trigger. Eight Hellfire missiles roared and leapt from the inner pylon racks. Smoke trails intertwined as the rockets sped toward the massive hangar doors. The impacts seconds after launch were near simultaneous. Armored nosecones punching into the thick armor plate, and detonated. Plasma fire vaporized metal in eye-tearing splendor leaving gaping wounds behind for the assault vehicles to punch through. Ravaged, twisted, and melted remains of the once imposing barriers were further tormented are two armored vehicles slammed through the holes. Shrapnel flew in all directions as they skidded to a halt deep in the cavernous hanger filled with Horde tanks, fighters, air and land transports, assaults carriers, and maintenance bays.

The timing was fortuitous. No sooner had the vehicles stopped than another set of armored doors thirty feet in front of them parted. When the gap was wide enough, Catherine O'Rourke and Andre Wardman darted through making a Beeline for the APC. Flashes lit the corridor as a fierce running battle worked its way toward the waiting vehicles.

Suddenly, humans darted through the portal, turned and waited. More armored humans jumped through closely followed by Frost and Anyssa now entirely supporting the Sorceress. Adrian followed a few paces behind with the remaining soldiers of Beta Platoon.

Adrian paused long enough to fire a blazing shot from his cannon back down the corridor. He caught a brief glimpse of a flame-haired woman in serpent armor leading a swarm of snakes and shocktroopers prior to the canon vomiting boiling plasma energy. The humanoid woman dove through a doorway just in the nick of time to avoid being vaporized by the blast. The snakes and robots trailing close behind were not as lucky.

Snakes began appearing seemingly from out of nowhere, and all at once. Rifle and laser fire deafened both human and serpent. Snake Men dropped from the rafters landing on both invading vehicles. Every one was promptly blown off by a burst from a pulse rifle. War Machine's gatling gun roared defiantly, spraying twenty-millimeter slugs through the entrance to suppress enemy fire.

Frost tossed his rifle to Adrian, who brought up the rear guard, and hurried to the APC's ramp as quickly as possible. Jake's surprised shout over the tactical net snapped Adrian around. A Snake Man had landed on top of the crew compartment and was trying to claw his way in to Jake Rockwell. Adrian fired a quick burst into the closest enemy on the ground, snapped around to blast the creature atop the War Machine into oblivion, then turned back to the knot of serpents and shocktroopers attempting to storm the hangar.

A fountain of green blood sprayed the left side of the assault machine, but Jake paid it no mind. For every one they dropped, three more seemed to take its place. Battle drones were starting to appear blasting away at them with their dreaded railguns. Vapor trails littered the air as fleeing humans continued to pile into the waiting carrier. Miraculously no one took a hit.

Private Sanchez bounded up the personnel ladder on the right side, paused at the hatch to shout to her companion. "Drake! C'mon!"

Drake turned from the charging snakes he just shot down when another dropped to the ground ten feet from him. It hissed and spat a deadly stream of corrosive juices straight into Drake's face. Drake tried futilely to avoid it, but it was too late. Acid ate away flesh on contact. His dying scream mingled with Sanchez's scream from the carrier hatch. Drake died never knowing his reflexive pull of the pulse rifle's trigger ripped his killer open from groin to throat.

Lieutenant Garber dragged the woman back inside. "Forget him. He's gone!" Then he threw Sanchez bodily into the waiting arms of other members of the platoon.

O'Rourke jumped forward to secure the hatch.

A loud bump on the vehicle's nose, quickly followed by shattering glass, and a surprised cry from the driver's compartment. Garber snatched up the shotgun he kept handy for close encounters. He stepped into the forward compartment, and slammed the muzzle into the gaping jaws of a snake trying to worm its way though the shattered window.

"Eat this!" A pull of the trigger liberated the creature's brains from the confines of its skull. Garber punched the driver's armored shoulder. "GO!"

Adrian threw open the hatch to the driver's compartment, clambering in, and slammed the hatch. Jake continued to lay down suppression fire with the gatling gun as the APC backed out. Adrian didn't both with strapping in. He switched primary driving control back to his station, and began backing the War Machine out.

Teela picked herself up aft diving out of the way of plasma blast. She had a few bruises and her legs were red from the heat of the plasma fire, but she was otherwise unhurt. She arrived in the hangar with a collection of Snake Men and shocktroopers just in time to watch the Earth vehicles back out the way they came in. Shocktroopers, Snake Men, and battle drone braved murderous laser fire from the smaller vehicle to her right in a futile effort to put a stop to the escape. She was forced to duck and cover again when that little vehicle launched a salvo of small rockets from winglets on its flanks. Explosions rippled throughout the battlefield momentarily pausing the counterattack. As clouds of smoke wafted about the chamber, a renewed charge was mounted. They died abruptly in the area immediately outside the shattered hangar doors when one of the two missing Earther dropships released a Hades bomb right on target.

The boiling flames matched the boiling emotions inside Teela. She stared blankly at the flames inwardly wondering why these humans had risked so much to rescue two people, losing one in the process. It just didn't make sense. In the days of the Royal Guard they, too, had the motto of never leaving anyone behind, but there were limits to that. While the Sorceress had been liberated, if for no other reason than to die free, that couldn't have been the only objective.

Realization dawned on Teela, who abruptly whirled away from the clouds of choking smoke and scattered debris, and dashed down the corridor knocking snakes and shocktroopers out of the way in her haste. The aftermath sounds and smells from the battle faded as the former Captain of the Royal Guard pushed deeper into the mountain palace. Somewhere along the way she picked up a discarded laser rifle, fully charged. Teela slowed as she approached the dungeons. That familiar smell of alien propellants drifted on the still air. Dreading what she would find, Teela slid along the left wall up to the heavy iron doors leading to the cellblocks. Taking a deep breath to settle her nerves, and hefting the laser rifle, Teela gripped the handle of the opposite door and yanked it open.

Despite the size and weight of the iron barriers, they opened easily on well-oiled bearings. Teela darted inside when the gap was wide enough – and stopped dead in her tracks. The rifle muzzle drooped as shock set in. It dangled at the woman's side in seconds as blue eyes took in the stunning scene. It was too unimaginable to comprehend; yet Teela's eyes did not deceive her. A cold, creeping numbness settled over her as the implications for her people set in.

All the cells stood open and empty; their prisoners liberated.

Laser bolts whipped past the liberated prisoners and their alien saviors to impact the walls, ceiling, and ground. They only lost two prisoners to the murderous fire chasing them through the passages, but that was two too many for Colonel Markson. At one point during the wild flight into the caverns, he wondered how he'd gotten into this mess. Pursuing enemy forces broke up the colonel's musing. His platoons were well away with the rescued slaves so all he and his eight companions had to was fight a retreating battle to give them as much time as possible.

They're really coming at us, sir," Private Road said grimly. "I don't think we can hold them much longer. Even if we use that special ammo we can't hold more than a few minutes."

"I know," the colonel agreed. "Just do the best you can." Privately he wondered where the hell those three Guardians were.

Shocktroopers disgorged from the corridor leading into the cavern in a veritable tidal wave. A sea of black, armored figures forged ahead in the dim light of the caves using sensors to guide them. Despite this advantage, the robots had trouble locking in on their quary. The armor the enemy wore seemed to blend in with the irregular contours of the rock walls, a co-incidental occurrence, but a useful one. Evidently these alien soldiers had shut down any electronic devises they carried which might give them away.

Colonel Markson and his eight soldiers lay in wait for the growing sea of robots. All lay flat on the ground, or used stalagmites, corners or shallow niches for cover. There were way to many for them to make an effective diversion against, and then pull out without some or all of them getting killed. Grenades and other more powerful weapons in their arsenal could not be used even if they had brought them from the APC. The explosions might have brought the ceiling down on top of them.

The fugitives opened fire when the range was almost pointblank. The first three rows of robots exploded in showers of sparks and flying debris. Limbs were blasted apart, heads exploded, and shattered torsos littered the ground. Red laser bolts flashed in the gloom as the surprised machines fought back viciously. Laser bolts filled the air like a lethal red rainstorm. Markson and his people tried to return fire as much as possible, but the amount of lethal energy sizzling the air did not allow for many opportunities. Having pinpointed most of the enemy positions, the Horde robots advanced once more. With battle drones armed with railguns moving up from behind to support them, the shocktroopers would make short work of this delaying force, and press on to capture or destroy the remaining soldiers hiding deeper in the network of caves. The skirmish line marched past a side tunnel on the Horde right flank. None of the machines paused to scan that tunnel for an enemy laying in wait.

Their mistake.

Blue laser bolts lanced from the dark passageway to explode into two shocktroopers. More began raining down on the right flank as Jeromy Ironwood in his Blitzkrieg armor strode out to meet them. Two triple-clawed armatures on extension assemblies tore into the robot formations from Jeromy's right. Adamantium jaws clamped down on hapless robots and crushed them with ease. Last to arrive was Sonya in her brightly painted Hawk armor. Her beam spear led the way. Green thermo-energy sliced and diced shocktroopers as if they were made of tissue paper. Hawk and Claw waded into the sea of black armor under the covering fire of Blitzkrieg's laser rifles.

"It's about time they showed up," Markson muttered, angry at their dramatic arrival. He opened the comm channel the suits operated on. "What took you so long? Waiting for them to shoot us up before you got into the fight?"

"You run two thousand yards in a suit like this while avoiding Snake Men and Horde robots, and see how quickly _you_ arrive," Sonya shot back. Her words were barely intelligible because her Russian accent became quite prevalent when she was agitated. "You are lucky we came at all."

"Children," Brad cut in sharply. "Fight the Horde now. Kill each other later."

The battle was over in a tense, adrenaline-charged minute. No robot was left standing or intact. The silent following the firefight seemed somehow more deafening than the battle. Sonya's keen sensors picked up the unmistakable sounds of more robots heading their way. By the sounds of the footfalls, an army of bigger machines was on the way. The tiny knot of humanity retreated deeper into the caves where the rest of the platoons guarded the rescued prisoners. Unfortunately, the situation got worst.

They had inadvertently run down a dead end passage. Sonya's sensors showed the second wave was close enough that they didn't have time to get out of their current location and retreat further. Colonel Markson's command would have to make its stand here. The freed prisoners were ushered to the back wall and told to hunker down to minimize making themselves a target. Jon spread Alpha platoon evenly to either side of the chamber they were trapped in. The three Guardians took up station in the center out in the open since their armor would sufficiently protect them long enough to get close and tear the drones apart with their melee weapons. As the humans and their charges settled down to await their enemies, the sounds of many heavy objects clanking in their direction could be heard. The closed the machines approached, the more panicky the civilians became.

A sudden cry from the civilians snapped Colonel Markson about. A portion of the back wall had vanished. A tunnel no one had seen before stood exposed for all to see. What drew the exclamation was columns of armed shocktroopers marching out under the direction of a human wrapped in shadow. The Guardians tensed for battle, but did not attack because even though the troopers poured into the chamber, they began taking up positions to repel the approaching enemy. Perplexed, Colonel Markson rose from his niche and cautiously approached the man.

Before the colonel could speak, the shadowed man replied, "If you wish to survive this night, come with me." He motioned to the troops behind him to begin moving the rescued civilians into the hidden tunnel.

As the man stepped out of the way, his features briefly caught the light from the lights attached to the pulse rifles. Weather-wore features, wrinkled brown eyes, and brown hair and beard liberally sprinkled with gray gazed about the scene before turning away. The mystery man followed the last of the civilians without waiting to see if Colonel Markson would follow.

Weighing the choices at hand, it was an easy decision. Stand and fight the approaching machines, and die. Or go with this mystery man and maybe die later. What was the Sorceress once said to Jon after the battle on the sanctuary moon? Where there was life, there was hope?

Putting on his best game face, Jon ordered his people to pack up and follow their rescuers into the tunnel. The shocktroopers retreated with them until only several robots, the colonel, and the cloaked man remained.

"Seal the tunnel," the aged man spoke gruffly to the machines.

"Yes, sir," the troopers responded immediately.

Once they were safely away from the exit, laser fire rang out followed by exploding rock, the sounds definite sounds of a cave-in, then ominous silence. Dust wafted through the pools of light cast by the pulse rifles. The cloaked man whirled away from the scene and led the way to safety.

It had been ten minutes since they blasted their way into and out of Palace Eternia. Adrian Cobretti, like most everyone else in the group, could remember the escape as little more than a stream of events all blurred together. He couldn't even remember the armor shifting its form, shrinking to the configuration of battle armor rather than a suit of power armor, to fit inside the War Machine's driver's compartment. He drove along side the APC as if he, like his machine, were on autopilot. Jake kept a careful watch for a return engagement by the Snake Men. Once Hiss figured out where they were headed, and one didn't have to be a genius to figure it out, he would likely throw whatever was the closest at them. So far – nothing.

The Sorceress lay on the troop seats toward the back where she would be out of the way should the need arise to employ the APC's defensive systems. No one in either platoon was a fully trained medtech so the best they could do was use the self-aid training to make the Sorceress as comfortable as possible. Andre Wardman kept out of the way, holding onto an overhead rack to steady himself in the pitching carrier. At one point the stricken woman's eyes opened, she moaned from the terrible pain she must be experiencing, and briefly locked gazes with him. In those eternal moments Andre understood the Sorceress' suffering. Pain of a kind no one could know without firsthand experience was reflected in those blue eyes. The spider web of veins standing out on her face, neck, and hands throbbed in tune with every heartbeat. Private Joanna Hansen knelt by her side just then, and the Sorceress looked away. Shaken, Andre watched for a moment more before struggling forward.

"How is she?" Lieutenant Garber asked; his eyes riveted to the sensor display mounted between the driver seats.

"Not good," Andre answered. "She looks so frail compared to a day ago. She's supposed to be immortal, though."

"Everyone has their weak points, kid," Frost put in.

"It's not right," Andre persisted, tears welling up in his eyes. "The Sorceress is so kind and gentle. She doesn't deserve this. It's just not fair."

Frost shook his head. "No one ever said life was fair."

Feril's voice broke in over the tac net. "We got fast-movers coming in from the east. We make out three pairs of Horde fighters."

Private Samuel Johnson kept one on the terrain and the other on the sensor display. "Jake, you see any ground units ahead?" he called across to Jake Rockwell.

Jake scanned his active sensor boards. "Nothing, Sam. They may be powered down."

Private Johnson pursed his lips grimly. Their flight from the palace took them around fields and past sleepy villages. Nothing moved out there in the inky darkness, as they roared ever closer to the Graylands and Castle Grayskull. By the map display above the sensor board, they were now less than forty kilometers from the Graylands. Despite weaving around fields and the occasional village, they made pretty good time in the past three hours.

Garber caught sight of a bright flash somewhere off to the west. He shifted his gaze and waited. Another flash shattered the night. The brewing storm rolling in off the Ocean of Gnarl was too far away to hear the thunder, but the intensity of those flashes, and the increasing number, meant a nasty one was blowing their way.

"Great. Enemies in the skies, a storm in the west, and an unknown area ahead; can this possibly get any better?" Garber grumbled.

"Be careful what you wish for," Frost cautioned.

The fighters broke from their assigned patrol vectors once their sensors lit on the speeding vehicles. Feril reported the inbounds as she and her wingman peeled off to take on one pair. Johnson and Cobretti veered away from one another to reduce the risk of colliding through evasive maneuvers, and to make it harder for the aerial units to strafe them.

Geysers of flame shattered the darkness as intense bolts of coherent light blasted craters in the grassland tracking toward the speeding slivers of metal. None connected with the highly mobile targets. The fighters screamed by at nearly mach one, angling away to come around for another run. Flaming columns erupted around the War Machine, but none struck its formidable armor.

"Wardman!" Frost shouted to be heard over the roar of alien fighters. When the young man jerked around, he continued, "Go to the aft storage and get a grip stock and a BCU."

The ensign hurried off immediately, and stopped after several steps. "A _what_?"

"Cigar box-looking thing with a handle on it. Little round thing looks like a coffee can," Frost described calmly despite the urgency of the situation.

The Horde fighters reached the apex of their turn and were now screaming inbound. Wardman popped up next to the ebony-skinned Marine with the items in hand. At Frost's direction, Andre twisted the coffee can into the grip stock. Frost then directed the young man to go back into the aft compartment, pop three latches on a Javelin missile, and bring it back up front. The pair snapped the grip stocks in place, yanked open the personnel doors on either side, and leaned out. Thumb triggers activated electronic systems as the enemy continued to dive. Winking lights seemly harmless from a distance shattered that observation as deadly blossoms of flame and smoke marched across the land once more.

This time the fighters bore down on them head-on. Eruptions forced Frost and Wardman to duck inside away from flying debris. Frost flipped the targeting sight over to the opposite side, laid the missile tube over the right shoulder, and took aim. Out of the corner of his eye, Frost spied Wardman still facing forward.

"Wardman!" When the ensign turned his way, Frost ordered, "Turn around."

Wardman mimics Frost's modifications to his own weapon and raised it to his left shoulder. That was the one important improvement over the original weapon system. Making the attachments ambidextrous made for easier utilization in a pinch. Like now.

"I got a lock," Andre declared moments after thumbing the activator switch."

"Locked on," Frost added.

"Shoot 'em in the ass," Lieutenant Garber ordered grimly.

Both javelin missiles roared from their tubes in unison. Twin smoke trails quickly disappeared into the cloudy night sky. The glow from two sets of drive engines veered and dodged to escape the sudden threats soaring in from behind. Evasive maneuvers failed in the face of excellent inferior Earther technology. Fiery blossoms marked the impacts several thousand feet in the air. Flaming pieces glittered briefly like meteors before going out and hitting the ground.

Flashing a big toothy grin, and dropping his empty weapon on the deck, Frost announced, "_That_ is how you reach out a touch someone!"

Lieutenant Gambini stuck close to Feril's wing as they pursued the second pair of fighters. Feril got close enough at on point in the chase to pepper the trailing enemy craft with a burst from the gatling canon, but the Horde armor proved too strong for their ballistic weapons. This forced Feril and Gambini to trail further behind their prey in order to increase the range for the missile guidance systems to function. Horde fighters proved to be just as agile in atmosphere as in the vacuum of space. Feril knew all too well what the enemy could do having seen her last wingman blown out of the sky. She vowed this time would be different.

The Horde fighter began to pour on speed. If Feril didn't fire soon, he's get away and get in behind his pursuers. In seconds, the range opened to the minimum necessary for the dropship's missile targeting system to lock-on. The beeping tone in her helmet turned into a steady tone the moment a lock-on was achieved. Feril didn't hesitate. A squeeze of the trigger sent a twelve-foot missile rocketing from each upper pod. White smoke traced across the predawn gloom toward the target. The pilot finally realized the danger and tried desperately to evade, but it was too late.

A blinding yellow-white fireball turned night into day for brief seconds, before dying out. Gambini took the lead with Feril on his wing in pursuit of the other Horde fighter. Feril was prepared to offer up pointers, but she quickly discovered Gambini had done his homework. She only gave advice and encouragement on two occasions ending in another fireball lighting the night sky.

"Good job, Gambini! Now let's get back to the others," Feril replied, turning veering away from the glittering embers of the destroyed fighter.

The remaining enemy fighters were lining up for a strafing running on the War Machine. The pair was too far away for Feril and Gambini to get there in time.

Castle Grayskull

The Graylands, Eternia

5 June 2017

Dawn was beginning to brighten the eastern sky. The start of another oppressive day under the brutal dominion of King Hiss and his army of Snake Men began much like any other. For most it was just another dreary day of staying out of the eye of the serpents. For Adrian Cobretti and his companions, it was the continuation of a struggle not only to survive, but also to save the life of one of their own.

"I see you," Adrian whispered.

"I don't see anything," Jake replied, scanning his sensor board again. "They could be using passive sensors."

"Integrate your armor," Adrian told him. His armor created a helmet complete with reticule over the right eye. In that four-inch circle Adrian could clearly see the passive sensor beams emanating from what appeared to be tanks.

Jake whistled when he saw what his companion did. He immediately went to power up the missile systems, but Adrian told him to hold. They believed their target was unaware. Best to leave it that way until the last possible moment. Jake grew antsy as the range slowly dwindled. Both men were now totally reliant on their armor to locate the enemy. As the range dropped below one thousand yards, Adrian suddenly slammed the throttle level to the forward stops. War Machine literally jumped forward with no wheel spin. It was as if the machine had come alive and was finally unleashed.

"What are you doing?" Jake asked, a nervous hint to his tone.

"Let's see what this thing can do," Adrian replied, that dangerous tone back whenever he was focused on a course of action. "Get ready to throw the dog a bone."

Normally, being so focused was a good thing. This time it nearly proved disastrous. Moments before Jake was to switch to active scanning, and fire on the powered down tanks laying in wait for them, the warning klaxon indicating a enemy radar was searching for them sounded off in their ears. Adrian's head snapped up immediately to scan for the enemy fighters bearing down on them. It took only a moment to spot the winking lights of laser bolts lancing down toward them.

"Shields," Adrian commanded the onboard computer.

Armor plates slid into place over the wheels and cockpit windows instantly. Laser bolts smacked the ground throwing up twin towers of fiery debris in the path of speeding machine. None struck the intended target, but several came dangerously close. As the enemy fighters soared away to come around for another run, the winglets flipper over on their horizontal axis. The targeting system locked on to both airborne targets, adjusted the angle, and released two Hellfire plasma-tipped missiles. War Machine disappeared briefly in a cloud of dirty white smoke. Adrian's primary display split to show the view from the nosecones of both weapons hurtling toward their targets. Images of the enemy engine exhausts great larger and larger until it seemed one could reach out and touch them. The images suddenly dissolved in static, and two fireballs lit the predawn sky.

Jake tool over the weapons, rotating the winglets back to their normal deployed position as the materialization system reloaded the Hellfire racks. The targeting system switched to ACTIVE mode and painted the sleeping Horde tanks his armor's sensor system spotted. At the pull of a trigger, clouds of smoke vomited from the rear of the rocket pods. As each of the forty-eight tubes emptied, the fabrication system produced a new rocket in the tube ready for launching.

Rockets hammered away at the forward armor. Explosions cracked then peeled back tough Horde alloy until vulnerable openings appeared for more of the deadly weapons to destroy. Both tanks exploded in roaring explosions, alloy frames screaming as it was torn apart. War Machine darted between the flaming wrecks and through the cloud of black smoke. Sensors spotted the other pair of sleeping tanks behind the first. The winglets rotated once more, locked targets, and belched forth another cloud of smoke and rockets. The rear flank of the Horde tanks were not as heavily armored, and took less to punch through.

The APC rolled through the flaming debris of four dead Horde tanks, none of which managed to fire a single defensive shot.

No more enemy units presented themselves, and Adrian alloyed himself to relax just a bit. He ordered the shields lowered. Off to the west above the trees, inky darkness still shrouded the lands. Brief bright flashes split the night. Feril reported her radar was scanning a substantial cloud formation blowing in off the Ocean of Gnarl. Though the people on the ground could not see it because the Evergreen Forest blocked the view, The dropship pilots could see the veritable storm of lightning strikes flashing all along a storm front nearly fifteen miles wide.

Adrian had felt the presence of the ancient stone structure long before it became visible as a black silhouette against the oncoming storm. Facing due south, Castle Grayskull watched over the land like a giant stone sentinel, dark and forbidding. Though the stones used in its construction were once gray, they had turned a dark green over the ages. The face of the castle had been shaped into the likeness of a massive skull with oversized incisors. The mouth was drab, brown drawbridge – or jawbridge, as the Sorceress called - that looked like it had seen better days. A horizontal iron bar impossible free of rust was mounted across the middle. A weathered coat of arms also impossibly rust-free was mounted five feet above the cross bar. Turrets on either side of the skull sported narrow windows about two or three feet wide and five feet high rounded at the top. The rest of the structure behind the skull and towers had been designed and shaped like some gigantic insect on four legs.

Adrian slowed to a halt before the sloping purple stone ramp arching up to a thirty-foot span of open-air level with the jawbridge. Twin arches rose up from the sides of the ramp, the entire structure having been carved from a rock mountain. From where they sat, Jake and Adrian could just make out the bottomless mote approximately forty feet wide surrounding the pillar upon which the stilted castle rested.

Soldiers exited the APC, secured the area, and then formed a perimeter around the vehicles. Adrian and Jake powered down the War Machine, and climbed out. The winds were picking up ahead of the storm front. The air smelled damp, but fresh. Lightning continued to flash in the distance, only now they could hear the roar of thunder. Turning away from the light show, Adrian walked to the rear of the armored carrier, and strode purposely up the ramp.

Joanna Hansen was slipping a plastic bag filled with an unmistakable crimson substance into a refrigeration unit. She looked up at Adrian's approach.

"It was her idea," the private replied softly, pain reflected in her green eyes. She glanced at the Sorceress lying still as death on the troop seats.

Joanna stepped aside and Adrian moved forward. He slipped his arms under the Sorceress' shoulders and knees, and effortlessly lifted her. Sorceress moaned in pain, eyes flicking open briefly. Adrian turned and walked out the back of the carrier, around the back of the War Machine, and headed straight for the stone ramp. As he walked, the dream, which compelled him to join the Guardian Force, rose from the deepest region of his brain where he'd tried to bury it. Specifically, the part where he stood upon this very ramp watching the jawbridge lower, and the biomechanical hand of Horde Prime reaches out for him through the glowing blue nimbus rings in the 'mouth.'

His stride did not falter, spurred on by the Sorceress' tormented moans. The veins popped out on her face and legs pulsed in tune with her heartbeat. He tried not to think about the woman's suffering, concentrating instead on his footing. The walkway was not level. In fact, it appeared to have been purposely carved with ruts along its length crossed with ribs. That was the only real way Adrian could describe the design. While the perpendicular ridges where nothing more than shallow raised speed bumps, one could easily trip on them if one was not careful.

Before he realized it, Adrian stood at the edge of the thirty-foot gulf between the end of the ramp and the closed jawbridge. The castle looked even more intimidating and forbidding up close. He wondered how something that looked so menacing could be a source for hope in a galaxy ravaged by war? More importantly, how were they going to gain entry with the Sorceress in such bad shape?

"So what do we do now?" Frost said, examining the distance between them and the jawbridge. "We have a few things to reach out and knock with."

"Stop hanging around Rockwell, Frost," Lieutenant Garber responded sourly. "You're starting to think like him." He, too, stared at the sealed entrance and examined options. "So how _do_ we get in?"

The Sorceress' labored breathing grew more so and raspy. She didn't have much time left. Adrian agonized over what to do. The Sorceress spoke once of her first arrival to the castle, and how it opened up to allow her entry. However, someone had already been inside at the time. There was no one in there no. No one human, anyway. The Sorceress had also spoke of the power and knowledge stored within in a way that gave one the impression the castle was somehow alive. Maybe Grayskull would sense the proximity of its wayward guardian and allow entry.

The six-pointed star on Adrian's breastplate began to glow faintly. The glow quickly increased in flickering waves until the rate was so quick it appeared to be steady glow. The winds whipping through the bottomless mote increased as the storm front closed in. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled from the west. Winds blowing off the storm front joined those blasting out of the mote. The combined forces threatened to sweep the humans from the ramp into the yawning chasm below.

A new sound struggled to override the blowing wind. A creaking, groaning sound, a rattling of chain, then the remarkable happened. The jawbridge began to lower! Adrian noticed his glowing crest for the first time. It slowly dawned on him that his armor had taken the initiative and somehow made contact with the forces within the ancient stone castle. The power armor had been created in part through the use of magic. And since the prolonged period of housing the engrams of their original owners caused the suits to evolve personalities of their own, Adrian's must have sensed the need to enter Grayskull and reached out to the forces within. Now the jawbridge was opening for the first time in over two years.

The rounded top edge of the bridge slammed down upon the lip of the ramp with a resounding _BOOM_ that vibrated through the stone. The interior surface, now facing upward, had been contoured the same as that the three humans stood upon, only the jawbridge design was flatter. As Adrian saw in his nightmare, a set of glowing, pulsing blue rings hazed over by a faint white nimbus lay inside the 'mouth.' The winds seemed to have died down, but that was only an illusion. Beyond the edge to either side of the now complete bridge the winds continued to raise. It was as if an invisible roof and walls suddenly formed over the open expanse.

Lieutenant Garber turned to the squad who had cautiously approached. "Clear and lock your weapons. Pass the word."

Frost immediately pulled the magazine from his weapon, stuck it in a pocket, and shouldered the rifle. Lieutenant Garber did the same.

"Sir, I thought this place was supposed to be friendly to those who are friends of the Sorceress," Private Witouski said. His eyes darted over the yawning entrance nervously.

Garber nodded. "It is. But I don't want to take the risk of ticking it off. Pass the word. Once we have secured the entrance start bringing in the supplies."

The private acknowledged his orders, saluted, and departed.

Working up the courage, and screwing his face into an emotionless mask, Adrian boldly stepped forward. If Horde Prime really had been inside, it would have shown itself long before now. They passed through the glowing rings with no effort at all. Beyond lay a short corridor opening into a vast chamber. Weird support trellises that appeared more ornamental than functional lay to the immediate right. On the wall to the left hung a gigantic screen larger than anything they had ever seen on Earth. Straight ahead and slightly to the right about forty meters away was a long staircase with shallow steps leading up to stone throne set in the mouth of some vague beast. Ti the right past the supports was grand staircase that led up and to the right, possibly into the east tower. Yellow and white orbs glowed among the trellises. More littered the air above them throughout the chamber mixed with red, blue, and green orbs. Though they gave off ample light, there was no heat radiating from the orbs, and they did not dispel the inky blackness beyond the immediate structures in sight.

Adrian walked the few meters farther and eased carefully, gingerly, down to his knees. The Sorceress roused and awakened for the first time since being rescued from the clutches of King Hiss. He held her close, propping her up against him.

"Where…am I?" Sorceress whispered through chapped lips, her voice barely audible, even in the silent halls.

"Home. You're home," Adrian answered. A growing sense of dread created a sickly pit where his stomach should be. The Sorceress mumbled something; the name of a village, perhaps. "Grayskull. You're home in Castle Grayskull," he clarified, hoping that the name could somehow revive her.

The Sorceress straightened up a little, the fog parting before her mind and eyes. "Grayskull," she whispered to herself. "Grayskull."

As the faint word slid from her lips, the life seemed to drain out of her. Adrian clasped her right hand with his left, willing her to hold on, willing the ancient castle to do something before it was too late.

"Grayskull…" Sorceress whispered one last time, drawing in a raspy breath, and then sagged limp, lifeless as a sack of potatoes against Adrian. Her last breath hissed silently through dry, slightly parted lips.


	11. Ch 10

TEN 

Planet Phantos

Phantos Star System

5 June 2017

It took less than a day to reach the Phantos system. Routine scans from the edge of the system revealed a lot of activity. Most of the ships moving among the planets appeared to be unarmed cargo and transport ships. A few vessels were undeniably the space versions of ocean liners. Captain Majourny continued scanning the system while Ace set a leisurely flight path toward the distance third planet. A scattering a spacedocks and repair facilities were identified, but nothing suggested any kind of military buildup was going on anywhere in the system.

_Horde Intelligence could be wrong_, Jo-jo mused, watching the scan results scroll across the left-hand panel. _The shipyards could be cloaked. Or they could be in a completely different location. It's a big galaxy. They could be hidden anywhere._

Sensors caught sight of the patrol craft when they were almost on top of the _Eternia_. The four craft together barely matched half the _Eternia_'s volume, but the power readings were more than twice what ships their size should have. Jo-jo had no intention of finding out just how powerful those little ships really were.

At ten thousand meters, the lead patrol ship issued a challenge. The language was unfamiliar to the translation program, so Jo-jo asked them to repeat their message. This time the lead craft's pilot responded in what they knew as Eternia Standard. English, on Earth.

"Identify yourself and state your purpose in this system," a gruff voice demanded. The inflections spoke of military discipline.

Jo-jo nodded to Lieutenant Satori to open the channel. "This is Jo-jo Majourny, captain of the starship _Eternia_. We are on a diplomatic mission to open relations between Phantos and our homeworld, Earth."

"You ship is more suited for space warfare than diplomatic missions. We have no need for making new friends. You should leave this system at once," the lead pilot replied.

"If our efforts are to be without success, I would prefer to hear it from Queen Elmora, herself, not from some patrol pilot," Jo-jo replied evenly.

"If you will not leave this system willingly, we will force you to leave. We are well aware of your battle with the Horde. I will not allow your war to come here," the unseen patrol leader responded. He didn't bother to hide his anger or his contempt for Jo-jo and her ship.

"If you think you can muster enough firepower to stop us from freely entering orbit and requesting an audience with Queen Elmora, you are welcome to try," Jo-jo invited, crossing one leg over the other, and crossing her arms. "I would be very interesting in the queen's reaction. Is it really her policy to turn away people who come in peace? Or yours?"

There was a long pause as the man considered Jo-jo's reply. Obviously, she was calling his bluff about using force to kick her out of the system. Ace kept the leisurely course toward their destination with two patrol craft cruising on either side. They had made no move to bar their path so far. Keeping the weapons and shields powered down lent a legitimate air to their claims of coming in peace. If it came down to trading shots with them, Jo-jo felt confident the Etherium hull would stand up to any punishment the Phantosian craft could dish out long enough for her crew to get the shields up and the weapons brought to bear.

The patrol captain came back on the line just when it looked like they might have to shoot it out. "Clearance approved for standard orbit. Contact ground control for further instructions." Gruff and to the point, the man sounded slightly annoyed; he must have been overridden by his superiors.

Jo-jo decided to rub a little salt in his wounds. "Thank you. Have a nice day." She tapped a control to close the connection. "Ace, take her up to point five. Set course for the third planet and get us into stationary orbit over Phantosia City."

Ace acknowledged the order. Lieutenant Satori contacted the city's ground control to coordinate where they would park in orbit.

Jo-jo turned at a quiet chuckle behind her left shoulder. "What?" she asked Hohiro, putting on the air on innocence.

"Oh, nothing," the oriental replied. He watched the patrol ships break formation and continue on their assigned patrol pattern.

"You still think Jon got the better end of the deal?"

"More than ever," Hohiro replied, turning toward the lift.

Jo-jo swiveled her chair around. "You aren't going to stay for round two?"

"No. Someone needs to make sure our trouble-making Harris and his buddies don't do something incredibly…stupid." The lift doors parted at his approach, and closed once he was inside.

"Indeed," Jo-jo mumbled, turned back to the view port.

Planet Phantos was a beautiful blue/white world that reminded Jo-jo of Earth. There was only one major city on the surface. Phantosia; the world's seat of ruling power. Home of Queen Elmora. The gigantic city was spread out in a set of eight concentric rings. At its center lay the vast palace complex. The next four rings were residences, apartment complexes, and hotels. Beyond those were the business and factory rings. Last was the spaceport ring sporting literally thousands of berths for any manner of starship.

Jo-jo had to wrangle and haggle with the ground controller over permission to land in a port versus remaining in orbit. The man on the ground thought it odd for a warship to not have any kind of shuttle capability. Once Jo-jo explained it would take longer to disarm one of the two remaining dropships than it would take to land, ground control relented and assigned them a berth on the outer ring's northeastern side.

As promised, and envoy from the queen's court awaited them. Ace navigated the air lanes as instructed to their assigned berth. He set the great starship down with barely a jolt. All systems were shut down, and the crew went to work checking components to make sure the repairs made on Earth were still holding.

Jo-jo eyed the man sent to greet them from the forward boarding ramp. She waited with Lieutenant Satori for Captain Takamora and the trio of soldiers who would accompany them. When the captain finally arrived, he brought two more than expected.

"Expecting trouble?" Jo-jo asked idly.

"Always," Hohiro replied.

He had outfitted the honor guard only with pistols and extra power clips. They were clad in the dress armor normally reserved for official formations. It was the same as their normal combat armor only more flashy with brighter paint schemes. The six took up station beside and behind Captain Majourny as she set off to meet the queen's representative.

Rashir had been in the service of Queen Elmora all his adult life. He was a staunch supporter of his queen. Sometimes he devotion had required him to take sides on issues. Sometimes against his queen while privately supporting her. Politics. How he hated what it forced him to do for the good of the realm. Now, thirty years later, he still stood tall, nearly six feet in height, had only a sprinkling of gray in a full head of auburn hair, and Rashir still retained the sleek build he was so proud of. While other court members had grown old, lazy, and fat – men and women – Rashir took pride in his appearance as the queen did hers. The right first impression, he learned long ago, could often yield surprising results.

Rashir flashed a warm smile as the group approached. "Good afternoon. I am Rashir, emissary of the court of Queen Elmora."

"I am Jo-jo Majourny, captain of the Starship _Eternia_." Jo-jo gestured to Hohiro. "This is Captain Hohiro Takamora, second in command of the Guardian Force."

Introductions were made of the remaining members of Jo-jo's party. Rashir gestured to the hangar's exit, explaining a vehicle waited outside to take them to the palace. The air was warm with only a few wisps of cloud on the deep blue sky. The dusty streets were packed with people going about their business in the industrial sectors. Some shops were immaculately kept up. Others looked so run down they should be condemned. Most were in a pretty good state of repair. Everything could be found in the sixth and seventh rings. Legal and otherwise. The same diverse sights and smells here one would find in industrial centers, outdoor markets on Earth. If it hadn't been for knowing they were on and alien planet, Jo-jo would have sworn they were traveling through a major metropolitan city.

The gateways from one ring to were not all aligned. This made it much more difficult for an invading army to reach the palace. An army would be forced to fight for every foot of ground gained. Hohiro suspected there were hidden traps all along the way to destroy as much of the invaders as possible before they could reach the palace. Of course, all the defenses were useless if the enemy simply sat in orbit and bombarded the entire city with warship-grade weapons.

They left the industrial and business rings behind and entered the residential rings. This area was truly a mix of old, new, exotic, and any other combination one could think up. Rings two and three reflected the wealth of the city's ruling class. The scenery grew more and more pleasing to the eye the closer they traveled to Palace Phantos.

The transport did not, however, enter the palace grounds. Instead, Jo-jo and her party were dropped off at a luxurious hotel. Rashir explained that is was too late in the day for an audience with Queen Elmora, provided she granted the meeting. In the meantime, Jo-jo and her companions were to consider themselves guests of the queen. And should make themselves at home. Rashir promised to come for them sometime around midmorning tomorrow.

Checking in was not a problem thanks to Rashir, who left them in good hands with the hotel staff before departing. They followed their guide through the marble floored lobby to the bank of lifts. They rode one to the fourth floor where they were led down an elaborately decorated corridor liberally plated with gold, silver, a bit of marble here and there, and lined with oil painting of places and people Jo-jo and company could not recognize.

Their rooms were adjoining so they wouldn't have to worry about undue separation. They were over lavish for their taste, but none of them were about to begrudge the apparent generosity.

"No bugs that we can detect," Private Corwitz replied when the inspection of the rooms was complete.

Jo-jo made a face, but said nothing. Old habits died hard. These particular habits may just keep them alive. Though things appeared normal on the surface, she had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that refused to go away.

"What do you say to taking a look around?" Hohiro pointed asked Jo-jo. She was the head of this party so the decision was hers.

Jo-jo thought about for a few moments. "All right," she finally said. "But no one goes anywhere alone. Despite the appearances, I have a bad feeling about all this."

"Agreed," Hohiro said. He split his team into pairs and sent them on their way with strict instructions not to get into trouble.

Jo-jo contacted the _Eternia_, told Ace to button the ship up and to allow no one other than members of her group onto the ship without Jo-jo's expressed permission. With that done, Captain Majourny joined Hohiro and Private Corwitz in the corridor. The first order of business was to sample the local cuisine.

The groups of Earthers ventured out to see what would be seen. Neon lights lined the avenues in many languages announcing all sorts of things. Anything could be purchased or traded in this hub if industry. Jo-jo had feared being out of place due to their chosen mode of dress. She quickly discovered they were, if nothing else, rather plainly dressed next to the patrons in the more wealthy quarter she and her companions traveled through. They had no problem finding the restaurants. One only had to follow their nose. Some shops emitted truly wondrous odors while others contained dishes Hohiro thought would only be useful as insect repellent.

The groups learned quite a bit about other cultures inhabiting the galaxy as far as the free trade among the different species went. Guardian Command would be interested to know of the races discovered here. Jo-jo guessed a few wouldn't show up in the pirated Horde database.

Jo-jo and her companions were heading back to their hotel after a very interesting and fruitful four hours of wandering around. Nearly an intersection forty meters from their hotel, Hohiro suddenly stopped and waved Jo-jo and Private Corwitz back against the wall. Jo-jo was about to ask what was going on when she heard the faint familiar sounds of booted feet walking in step. The trio pressed further into the shadows as the noise great steadily louder and closer.

All at once, two columns of soldiers armed with laser rifles and dressed all in shiny black armor rounded the corner and headed away from them. Fortunately. Twenty shocktroopers marched boldly through the streets forcing pedestrians to make way. They were on a mission, that much was obvious.

"What are they doing here?" Jo-jo wondered aloud.

"It's an oppressed galaxy," Hohiro replied. "They can pretty much go where they want."

"Coincidence?" Jo-jo asked, unsure.

"Most likely. If they had been prepared for us, I doubt we would have been allowed to land."

"Unless they would rather make sure we don't leave," Private Corwitz added.

No one disputed that line of reasoning. Jo-jo suggested they get everyone back to the hotel quickly before those roving troopers accidentally came upon one of the teams. The last thing they needed was an incident before they could meet with Queen Elmora. If that happened, not only would the audience with the queen be forfeited, getting off the planet might become next to impossible.

Snake Mountain

Dark Side of Eternia

5 June 2017

Colonel Markson had no idea how long they marched through the tunnel, or how far they had gone. Minutes seemed like hours in the oppressive darkness broken only by the tiny lights mounted on shoulders and to the sides of pulse rifles. After nearly two hours of walking, the tunnel ahead grew dim, then gradually brightened as the end finally came within sight.

The soldiers from Earth and the freed captives emerged from the tunnel into waning sunshine. The storm blowing in off the Ocean of Gnarl was reaching their location. They would not have to make the rest of the journey slogging through mud, however. Transport carriers with open gunner pods manned by shocktroopers resting on squat landing struts waited twenty meters away.

Their bearded savior, now wrapped in a plain brown cloak and hood, gestured to the waiting vehicles. He spoke now words. He walked toward the craft without waiting to see if Colonel Markson and his soldiers would follow. A wicked storm blowing in from the northwest, possible pursuit from King Hiss, and a nameless man taking them to who knows where; just another day in the life of the Guardian Force.

"Mount up. Things can't get much worst," Colonel Markson replied.

"Are you sure about this?" Brad asked, unsure if this was the right choice.

"No. But if you'd rather face the Snake Men, I'm sure they'll be along any time."

They were the last to board the remaining transport. Once on board, the hatches were closed. Anti-grav drives powered up and the vehicle lifted off effortlessly. The struts were retracted, the course was set, and they were on their way and break-neck speed.

Grassy plains gave way to the far eastern end of the Graylands. A short hop over this barren stretch of land led to a turn due east to soar over the waters of the Harmony Sea. Their course bypassed the Desert of Vog entirely in favor of a brief flight over the extreme southern end of the desert known as the Sands of Time. Three hours after taking off from the field east of Palace Eternia, the escapees passed crossed from the Huklonas Desert, which lay east of the Sands of Time, into the most hostile lands on the face of Eternia.

The Serpentis Desert. A landmass of volcanoes, lava flows, sulfur springs, jagged terrain even the most experienced mountain climbs would cringe at the sight of, and a few rivers better left alone. Only one known unpolluted river was located in the harsh landscape. That which toppled perpetually over a mighty waterfall butted next to the most fearsome and infamous structure on the face of the planet.

Snake Mountain.

"So where are we headed?" Colonel Markson asked of their robed rescuer. "We're safely away. You can drop the stony silence routine."

"We are headed to a place of relative safety. A place where even King Hiss does not tred anymore."

"Ya know, I hate it when people go all cryptic on me," Jon muttered.

That's when Snake Mountain materialized out of a sulfur haze. Red highlights from lava flows too numerous to count cast an eerie throughout the land. One of the soldiers remarked that the scenery reminded her of the precursor to what Hell must look like.

Standing alone in the center of this inhospitable land was Snake Mountain. The tallest peek save for the Panthorr Mountains for the continent's southern boundary. The sounds of a roaring waterfall overrode the hissing of lava flows, the explosions of sulfur gas pockets. Red crystal eyes of the gigantic serpent coiled around the mountain twinkled in the half-light.

A large hangar door slid upward at the approach of the small convoy near the base of the mountain. There was plenty of room inside the spacious hangar for a convoy five times the size of the one setting down. Once the last transport passed through the door, the armored door slid close. More shocktroopers appeared from all over the hangar to assist with unloading the human cargo, and escorted them away to parts unknown. One disheveled, brown-haired woman dressed in a gown that had once been a medium shade of green, wearing a tarnished golden belt settled on her hips tried repeatedly to force her way through to Colonel Markson and his cloaked companion, but several robot troopers intervened and escorted her away.

"This way," the cloaked man said, heading off to the far left corner.

Colonel Markson ordered his people to see to the freed people while he, Sonya, Brad, and Jeromy accompanied their mysterious host. The corridors were not any more inviting or pleasing to the eye than the forbidding exterior. All of them commented on a the architecture in not so nice ways to kill the time, and, in Colonel Markson's case, see if they could get a rise out of their mysterious benefactor. Nothing worked. Aside from a few brief stern comments to stay out of this corridor or away from that room, and the odd command to keep up, the guide ignored them altogether.

After forty-five minutes of weaving their way through many corridors and walking up hundreds of stairs, the party of four reached the top of the fortress; the snake's head, to be exact. Colonel Markson and the three Guardians were led into a sinister-looking throne room. Brad walked toward the mouth of the serpent following the roar of the waterfall and spent a few moments taking in the view of the barren landscape. Sonya took a mild interest in the stone table with its crystal dome centerpiece and six bone-like legs snaking out from it at equidistant points. Jeromy noticed the bone rib work making up the throne, and its darkly clad occupant. Everyone would have sworn that throne had been empty when they entered the chamber. Everyone also recognized the garb from images the Sorceress had supplied.

Brad rejoined his companions, taking in the room and their two hooded hosts. Colonel Markson let the pulse rifle hang loosely from the carry strap and rested his arms on the weapon. He waited expectantly for them to make the next move. Finally, the figure on the throne set aside the staff capped with a ram's head. In the dim light the head looked to be made of bronze. Black gloved hands, whose fingertips were capped with polished silver, reached up and drew back the velvet hood just enough to allow the visitors to finally see the identity of one of their enigmatic hosts.

Only Colonel Markson looked like he expected the revelation.

"Is that who I think it is?" Brad blurted, as shocked as Sonya and Jeromy were.

"It ain't Cobra Commander," Colonel Markson answered lightly. "I take it we have you to thank for the timely intervention?"

"Out of the goodness of his heart," Sonya commented dryly.

Skeletor turned his head slightly to the cloaked figure on his right. "Him. I am Skeletor, Overlord of Evil. I do _nothing_ out of the 'goodness' of my heart."

"Of course not. One must first _have_ a heart," Brad advised the colonel.

"Well, I've got bad news for you," Jon told the black robed ruler of Snake Mountain. "From what I've seen you are overlord of two things right now. Jack and Squat." He turned to the mystery man standing apart from the gathering. "And unless your name is 'Jack', I'm betting he left town."

Unimpressed by Colonel Markson's witty repartee, Skeletor forced himself out of his throne. The other man lowered the hood and stood revealed for the first time. Where Skeletor was grim and outwardly condescending, using the unnerving visage of his bleached skull to his advantage, the mystery man was quiet, reserved, and weary. Years of living in hiding had not been kind to him. The stress of the past several years living day to day, worrying about his planet, and fighting occasional desperate battles with the Snake Men lined his stoic face. Gray sprinkled his full beard and, about half his head of brown hair was now gray. The man standing before them was older, but Brad managed to make the connection with the last know images stolen from the General Rongar's battleship.

"King Randor?" Brad spoke softly, hardly believing his eyes.

Randor nodded. "Former king of Eternia. King Hiss now rules the land." Despite the aging of his face, Randor's voice, like his body, was still strong and commanding.

Skeletor examined the shrunken suits of armor Brad, Sonya, and Jeromy wore. He waved a gloved hand toward the stone table. "In that crystal I can see anywhere in this universe, or any other. I watched your battle to claim these suits of battle armor." Skeletor circled the quartet while he talked. "I must say they don't look very impressive now. Colors are all wrong for the environment."

"Let me guess," Brad said dryly. "You're a fashion consultant in your spare time."

While it was impossible to see emotions on exposed bone, Skeletor's mannerisms indicated that he was somewhat less than amused.

"You have no idea what you have gotten yourselves into, Earthers. This is a war you can not win," Skeletor spat. "Many have tried. All have failed. Even the mighty He-Man and his sister She-Ra failed."

"Hence the reason for our visit to this neck of the oppressed woods," Colonel Markson said. "We came to find out what happened to He-Man and the Masters."

Skeletor turned away, and slowly strode out into the serpent's gaping mouth.

"What happened?" Jon repeated, though it was apparent the self-proclaimed Overlord of Evil did not want to answer.

Frustrated, Jon turned away from the mass of black cape. "C'mon. We're wasting our time here."

The quartet headed for the corridor that brought them to the throne room. They were willing to risk getting lost in the massive mountain riddled with tunnels and chambers rather than continue the pointless interrogation.

King Randor's quiet answer froze them at the exit. "They fell."

No one needed elaboration on what the deposed king meant.

Castle Grayskull

Graylands, Eternia

5 June 2017

Rain scoured the lands clean in driving waves of falling water. Wind speeds were clocked at over thirty miles per hour by the APC sensors. No one really needed that to tell it was better to stay indoors. The amazing things was will the driving rain pounded the outside of the ancient stone castle, none of it blew into the eyes and nose of the skull face, or the windows in the towers. Though there were no active energy fields found when scans were taken, the humans from Earth concluded, some grudgingly, that some force was at work.

Beta platoon conducted a search of the surrounding chambers to be sure no one was home. It didn't take them long to find the primary stairwell twenty feet wide leading down into the dark depths of the ancient structure. Doors of every shape and size lined the left wall as it curved down out of site. The Sorceress had once warned people to stay away from the area three feet in front of them. This was the threshold that would cause the magic portals to open to wherever they led to. Even she did not know where all of them gave access. She did know that some of them could allow unspeakable terrors to enter Grayskull. So Lieutenant Garber left standing orders for everyone to stay the hell away from those doors. No more than two abreast traversing those weathered steps.

The eastern tower housed the Sorceress' private chambers. The stairwell also led to an exit top of the tower. The western tower contained a sizeable library, but it was nothing compared to the descriptions the Sorceress had given. This one contained volumes and scrolls referenced on a semi regular basis. The real library, according to the Sorceress, was a thousand times larger.

The roving teams failed to find the library, but there would be time for that later. The priority now was to get the people settling in. Despite finding unused and remarkably clean multi-chamber living quarters, most of Lieutenant Garber's command chose to stay in the throne room. No one really had a better description of the vast chamber. Once the supplies from the APC were sorted and stacked up out of the way, both platoons set about making bed spaces for themselves. The remaining pair on guard at the open jawbridge was called in. The jawbridge immediately began ratcheting itself close with a ringing _boom_ when fully raised.

Lieutenant Garber watched his people settle in for a boring day stuck inside, while the torrential rains continued to fall without. His gaze strayed more than a few times to the shroud laying just twenty feet away. They had t move her aside to allow the movement of supplies into the castle. The hardest part had been getting Adrian to let go. They had to practically pry the Sorceress from his arms. Then she was moved out of the way, the soldiers treating her almost reverently. Someone had snuck a fur blanket along, which now served as a shroud for the woman.

It still seemed so surreal. For Jerrod Garber this was still unbelievable. They just couldn't have come all this way only to fail her. He kept replaying the events of the past twenty-four hours in his mind looking for anything that could have been done differently. Something that might have made a difference. The result was always the same. With the added wrinkle of King Hiss' poison factored in, there simply was nothing they could have done differently. They didn't even know the Sorceress had been bitten until Adrian Cobretti had been rescued.

Now Adrian was distancing himself from his comrades. Jerrod's eyes followed the grand staircase up to where it branched. The left branch wound up into the east tower while the right branch led up into an alcove where one could go to look out through the eyes and nose of the skull face. He was up there in the left eye gazing blankly out at the falling rain.

_How did it come to this?_ Jerrod asked himself for the tenth time in as many minutes.

Andre Wardman swore for the tenth time he heard something. The search teams reported hearing odd noises in the dark passageways, but no source could be discovered. Despite the castle appearing to tolerate their presence, it still gave certain people the creeps.

"There it is again!" Andre persisted.

Catherine O'Rourke sighed. "What did it sound like?"

Andre thought for a moment. "Like stones scrapping together."

Frost glanced up the stairs to where they branched. "Where did it sound the loudest?" His thoughts were maybe it was something Adrian was doing. He had been concerned for his friend ever since the Sorceress breathed her last a couple hours ago.

Timidly, Andre turned toward the fur-shrouded form laying across the chamber. "There."

Catherine and Frost looked, but it was clear they didn't believe.

Andre jerked around once more.

Sighing, Frost and Catherine rose, pulled the jetty man to his feet, and together the three walked across the room. Their boots scrapped the irregular stones amid the quiet murmur of multiple conversations. Maybe it was their nerves. Maybe it was real. Maybe it was a combination of the two. All three shivered as if they stepped into a cold pocket of air. Lieutenant Garber watched the trio approach the shrouded form, but made no move to stop them. He had listened to the reports of unexplained noises, but chalked it up to overactive imaginations in an unfamiliar environment. This castle was about as unfamiliar as they could get.

"Look. No mysterious noises. Nothing going on. Okay?" Catherine replied, looking about for anything out of the ordinary. "It's all in your…head?"

Something definitely wasn't right. The fur blanket slowly collapsed as if the air suddenly leaked out. That shouldn't happen since the Sorceress lay beneath. Jerrod straightened from his position leaning against the wall several yards from the closed jawbridge. His instincts told him something was suddenly very wrong. Frost knelt beside the deflated blanket and reached out grasp the nearest corner. Jerrod arrived as the sniper summoned the courage to fling back the fur. With a flick of the wrist, blue fur adorned with the image of Zoar the Falcon rippled and rolled toward the feet of the body it should have been covering.

All four gasped in shock and a little fear. The body the blanket should have been covering wasn't there. Only empty gray stone stared back at them.

The body of Sorceress of Grayskull was gone.

"Were the hell could she have gone?" Frost said to no one in particular.

"She didn't just get up and walk away," Catherine replied, equally at a loss to explain the disappearance.

Andre's imagination began to run away with him as horrifying thoughts suddenly flashed through his mind. "Oh, no! No! She…she…"

Catherine quickly grabbed the panicky kid by the shoulders and spun him around to face her. "Listen to me! Listen! She is not a zombie. You listening to me? She is _not_ a zombie."

Wardman gulped, swallowed hard, and fought down his rising tide of panic. Catherine explained about the magic of the castle. She suggested the castle might have something to do with the disappearance.

A quiet chuckle coming from the vicinity of the jawbridge interrupted the discussion. Jack Rockwell wandered over as more members of Beta platoon took notice of situation. Jack spotted the woman dressed in a white satin gown and matching high-heeled boots first when she stepped from the shadows, still chuckling.

"In spite of all the progress your people have made over the past hundred plus years you still haven't evolved above your silly superstitions."

"It's part of our charm," Lieutenant Garber replied. "Who are you?"

Kodec Ungor smiled disarmingly. "I like a man who gets right to the point."

"I know you," Jake said, his mind finally dredging up the answer. "You were in that pyramid when we went to retrieve the armor."

"Very good, Jake Rockwell. However, you do not know me. For I never gave you my name. And I am rather surprised the Sorceress never told you. Seems I will have to correct that oversight. I must remember to have a word or two with her about this."

That made no sense to anyone present since the Sorceress was quite dead. Frost pointed that fact out rather angrily.

"Oh, pooh. You people think in such black and white terms I sometimes find in humorous," Kodec said, all serious. "Death is a journey all living being must take in due time. But it isn't the end. It's merely a door, if you will, to the next journey." Blank looks were her reward for that revelation. Kodec let out a frustrated sigh. _It's a wonder these people can lace up their boots. Whatever do you see in these people, Sorceress?_ Of course, Kodec was not going to receive an answer to her question. Not yet. "To put it in terms you can understand, her body has ceased to function, but the Sorceress' mind, her soul, I think you would call it, is alive and well. At this moment, her body lies in the pool of power somewhere beneath our feet being repaired. Her 'soul' is somewhere within the confines of this castle waiting until her physical form is restored to life. Once that happens, the Sorceress will feel an irresistible pull back to her physical form."

Then there is a chance?" Lieutenant Garber asked, trying not to let his hopes rise too much.

"There was always a chance!" Kodec snapped, indignant. She calmed after a moment remembering her less advanced audience. "Right now her body lies in the Pool of Power somewhere beneath our very feet. The castle is using its power to restore her to life. We only to wait until she arises. Her essence, what you would call a soul, roams these empty halls restlessly." Kodec took note of their confused looks and tried to elaborate. "The body is easier to repair without the complications of the soul, which is a powerful and tricky thing. And there is something she must confront. Something that is long overdue for her to make peace with."

They wanted to asked what it was the Sorceress had to confront, ever eager to help a friend in need. The look in Kodec's eyes said this was something their friend had to do alone. No one could help here even if one could. All they could do was wait for the castle to do its work.

"She will be healed then?" Frost asked.

Kodec shook her head. "No. The Sorceress will be restored to life, if all goes well, but she will not be free of what was done to her. The castle does not possess the fine touch for that. Nor do I for that matter. There are several beings on this planet that can do the required work. That must wait until the castle has finished and the Sorceress has returned to her physical form."

"And here I thought it was going to be relatively easy," Frost sighed.

"Where magic is concerned nothing is exactly easy," Kodec admonished gently.

"Okay. Once the Sorceress is returned to us, where do we take her to finish the job?" Garber asked pointedly.

"One step at a time, lieutenant," Kodec responded. "One step at a time."

Anyssa cautiously walked up the stone steps and stopped where they ended at the floor giving access to the skull's eyes. The stairwell ran up from there into the east tower where the Sorceress' private chambers lay near the top. From her current position, she could just make out the shadow of a man sitting in the skull's left eye. Lightning flashes turned night into day, and booming _cracks_ shattered the tranquility of the falling rain.

Her concern, at the moment, was for this man whose brain roiled from the mind sifter. She had seen what that infernal machine could do on too many occasions. Right now Adrian's mind would be coming apart at the seams. Coherent thought would grow steadily harder until he would be incapable of any rational thought.

Without the Sorceress, there was very little that could be done for him. She dying in his arms didn't help matters any. Although Anyssa had fought many battles in her young life, never has she felt so helpless as she did now. One soldier died in the escape from Palace Eternia. The Sorceress' body disappeared without anyone being the wiser. Now it looked like these warriors from a distant world may lose another of their own.

Without warning, Adrian rolled out of the eye into the raging rainstorm. Alarmed, Anyssa sprinted to the eye in four long strides. She arrived just in time to see a hazy armored shape disappear into the towering trees of the Evergreen Forest.

Lieutenant Garber turned at the sound of his name being shouted. He watched the warrior woman leap down the stairs taking them three and four at a time. The woman's break-neck pace brought to the group in moments.

Breathless, Anyssa gulped, "Adrian…is…gone! He toppled out of the skull's eye, activated his armor, and jetted out to the forest."

"What the hell for?" Garber asked no one in particular. He knew no one would have the answer.

Catching her breath somewhat, Anyssa answered, "I fear it's the effect of the mind sifter."

Kodec snapped around at that revelation. "Mind sifter? Hiss put Adrian into that thing? Why didn't anyone say something?" she demanded angrily.

"We didn't think it was that critical. Sure, Adrian was having trouble, but he appeared to be getting better," Lieutenant Garber explained.

"Didn't think is right! Once that thing starts tearing your mind apart it doesn't stop even when you take to poor sod out of it. We better find him before it's too late."

Garber turned to Anyssa. "Did he use his armor?"

The woman thought for a moment, then nodded. "I didn't get a good look, but he must have since his he rolled from his perch in the skull's left eye."

Garber turned to O'Rourke and Rockwell. "I remember reading a report on the suits that said something to the effect that while they were designed for specific purposes, the power signatures were pretty much the same."

Catherine nodded. "Yes. There is just a slight variation giving each suit it's own unique signature."

"You and Wardman get on it. Use Jake's armor as a guide. Give me a sensor so we can track him. It's raining so hard out there any tracks he makes will wash away in minutes." Garber watched the three hustle off to gather the equipment needed to program the scanner he ordered. He asked, "If we do find Adrian before this condition kills him, or, God forbid, he stumbles into one of the villages, what do we do with him?"

"There is someone I know who may be able to help," Kodec replied, neutrally.

Garber ordered Frost to organize a squad to go after Adrian. Kodec said she would accompany them and provide whatever they would need starting with native clothing and currency. The lieutenant didn't argue the point further after the mystery woman explained there was nothing they could do until the castle completed its task. Garber wasn't sure he wanted to know more, anyway. What he already knew was disturbing enough. _Evidently, whatever rules apply to Earth isn't as rigid here,_ he thought.

He would find out in the coming days just how much an understatement that really was.


	12. Ch 11

Eleven 

Castle Grayskull

Graylands, Eternia

6 June 2017

_She had no idea where she was. It was as if she had been cast into a pit of the blackest pitch anyone had ever seen. The blackness nearly suffocated her. Opening her eyes did little to help the situation. A touch of fear crept into her consciousness at this point. Something about this whole situation just did not feel right. She felt disconnected from the world around her. She couldn't even remember her name._

_ Time had no meaning in this black world. Because of this, she had no idea how much time had passed from consciousness to the point when she heard a faint sound far off in the void. The sound came again, louder and closer. She looked around with some trepidation. There was nowhere to run. No place to run and hide._

_ The sound was clearer, now. It was a voice. From the tone, she guessed it to be male. Her next thought was who could know she was here – wherever that was – when she could see absolutely nothing?_

_ Teela'Na._

_ That word, now discernable with the unknown voice being unnervingly close, sounded familiar. The word sounded again. Again, a stab of recognition struck. She rolled it around in her mind getting a feel for the pronunciation. After several heartbeats of examination, she came to the conclusion it was not a word. It was a name. Possibly, it was the name of the person introducing himself to her. She was sure the voice was male, but the name did not sound like one for a male. It sounded more like a female name._

_ Teela'Na. Definitely a female name, she decided. Hers? Somehow it seemed to fit._

_ The white spot she had observed for the past few heartbeats began to grow. It appeared to be a spot of indistinct brightness. At first, she mistakenly thought the brightness was close at hand like a veil peeling back. That opinion changed as the bright spot resolved into a bipedal figure approximately two meters tall. Soon, a handsome man stood before her smiling warmly. Gentle eyes looked her over as if he knew her. The thought that this apparition might know her was unsettling because she had no idea who this person was. She didn't even know her own name!_

_ "You don't know me, do you?" the specter replied. His soft voice was full of warmth and love, and threatened to sweep her away._

_ She shook her head. "No. I can't even remember who I am."_

_ The specter nodded. "That happened to me, also. It'll come back to you. Perhaps I can help speed things up." The entity before her held out its right hand. "There is no danger. Come with me and I will help you to remember."_

_ "Where am I?"_

_ "Someplace safe. Come. I will show you."_

_ Uncertain as she was about this, she cautiously reached out to the proffered hand. For the first time, she noticed she, too, was surrounded by a glowing nimbus and had a spectral form. The moment their hands touched the black void dissolved in a blinding flash of white light. The flash lasted for only a moment or two before receding._

_ She found herself in a world of light. There were boundaries here. Stonewalls were bathed in the glow of a blue-white pool twenty meters across. The depth could not be determined from her impossible position above the pool's calm surface. It appeared as if the pool was infused with a life of its own. That thought was reinforced by a rhythmic beat._

_ Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump._

_ The first beat was a higher tone followed by a lower tone. The twin tempo repeated over and over again. It reminded her of a beating heart._

_ The specter appeared at her side once more. "Recognize this place?"_

_ She shook her head. "I feel as though I should know it, but I can't think of the name. Where is that beating coming from?"_

_ "A heart. Your heart."_

_ "Mine? I don't understand. _What _is going on? Why do I feel so strange? You say this beating is my heart yet I don't even feel alive!" She began to weep from the helplessness of the whole situation._

_ A consoling arm slipped around her shoulders. "Look down," the man replied._

_ "Why?"_

_ "To answer your question. Look."_

_ She didn't want to, but some need compelled her to do so. Directly beneath her lay the body of a beautiful woman dressed in high-heeled blue boots capped with white fur, and caped costume colored in red, white, and blue accented all of the woman's attributes. A short feather skirt revealed long, shapely legs, and the arms lay at the woman's sides letting the feather cape to fan out beneath her. The headdress she knew the hair should have been transformed into was not present, however._

_ "I recognize that," she replied, sniffling. "That's the costume of the guardian of Castle Grayskull." She paused to drink in the sight before her._

_ She wanted to view the woman from a closer distance, but didn't know how to go about it. All of a sudden, she drifted closer until she was standing right next to the unconscious woman. As she thought, the pool was not a pool in that it was filled with water. It was raw energy that felt comforting now that she was submerged in it, as well._

_ "Teela'Na," she replied, getting a feel for the name. "That's her name, isn't it?"_

_ "Yes," her nameless companion answered. "It is her name - and yours."_

_ "If this is Teela'Na, and _I _am her, then…"_

_ "Then?"_

_ Realization slowly dawned on her. Fear settled in a sick lump in her stomach. "Then that means I'm...I'm...dead."_

Evergreen Forest

It took close to an hour to outfit the search party appropriately for the task on finding Adrian Cobretti. Kodec fussed and fumed the entire time like some wild beast. She provided the necessary clothing and copper pieces for currency. Kodec possessed only sketchy information of the villages in the area. She had no idea which village Adrian would end up in or near, so they would have to search all of them.

The team included Antone Frost, Jake Rockwell, Kodec Ungor, and Privates Johnson and Horwitz. Kodec could have assembled a better team, but she didn't have all that much to work with, in her opinion. Still, it was better than nothing.

Armed only with concealed side arms and plenty of ammo or reserve energy cells, the group set out into the storm's brief lull. The period of drizzle lasted only until the cloaked and hooded party reached the forest's edge, then the clouds burst forth a torrential downpour soaking them instantly.

It wasn't that difficult to follow Adrian through the forest. He plowed through any foliage that got in the way. The few footpaths that existed were littered with prints from the passage of something heavy. The size and shape of the prints matched those of Adrian's armor. The quartet followed the depressions slowly filling with water for nearly an hour.

Kodec signaled a halt to rest for ten minutes before pressing onward. There was a village close to the edge of the forest where they might seek shelter from the rain. Frost and Jake wandered around in the trees while Johnson and Horwitz stamped their feet in a futile attempt to warm them.

Jake stumbled and fell cursing into the brush behind a tree nearly fifteen feet in diameter. Frost hurried cautiously through the growth to his companion. "You all right?"

A sour Jake Rockwell replied, "Yeah. I just stumbled over a root."

"Umm, that's no root, Jake," Frost said, brushing aside a few branches.

Kodec and the others joined them as Jake and Frost peeled back thick growths of moss. They discovered a depression near where Jake fell. The outlines were vague, but it did indicate something heavy and bulky had fallen there. Kodec confirmed this after briefly employing her magic. She confirmed Adrian had been here nearly two hours ago. He had fallen from exhaustion. His mind probably grew too erratic for coherent thought to continue.

They uncovered a rusting metal linkage buried in the dirt. This is what Jake tripped over. Jake and Frost used hunting knives to dig up more dirt and cut away shrubs. The linkage led to the shattered remains of a massive box-shaped object. More digging revealed it to be the remains of a detached leg. Ten feet further into the trees, Private Johnson found the owner of the leg. The parted gathered around the battered and rusting remains of a huge robot unlike anything they had seen before. A powerful energy weapon had holed the burned chest plate. Inside laid the scorched and melted remnants of gears, circuits, and energy cells.

The robot's head was nowhere in sight.

Private Horwitz eyes peculiar depressions around the stop Kodec claimed Adrian fell. Though the rain was quickly scrubbing away the marks, they could still be identified a footprints. These were not like any human print, though they had a similar shape.

"They look human, yet something else," Jake mused.

"They almost look like animal prints," Frost replied.

"Bipedal animals?" Private Johnson scoffed. "C'mon, Frost. Granted this is a weird planet, but intelligent animals? No way."

"Every time you open your mouth you display your level of intelligence," Kodec grumbled.

"Let's get going," Frost suggested, cutting off Private Johnson's heated retort. "I'm cold, wet, and there is nothing we can for Adrian right now except find him. Shall we go?"

Kodec nodded, examined the fading signs of a body having been carried away one last time, and turned away. She set off down the path continuing their journey west. Another hour of dreary trudging through the rain-soaked forest brought the chilled group to the southern edge of the forest. As they approached the tree line, pale yellow lights could be seen almost floating in the distance. The rain had slackened to a misty cloud draped across the land like a shroud, from it shown the lights of a village about a mile distant.

The town didn't look any more cheerful up close than it did from the forest edge. It did, however, offer dry warmth for the night. The tavern wasn't hard to fine. It was the loudest place along the main street. Shadowed forms darted here and there through the rain as the quartet shuffled along toward their destination.

Kodec stopped them outside. "I will make arrangements for our stay. Wait for me in the hall. Get something hot to eat. I will join you shortly. Oh, and try not to do anything – stupid."

"She acts like she doesn't trust us," Private Johnson snorted.

"_I_ don't trust us," Frost replied sternly. "C'mon."

The corporal led the way into the rundown establishment. The atmosphere inside was as rundown as the outside. Dim light from torches in sconces mounted along the walls and in metal fixtures hung from the ceiling cast dingy yellow pools throughout the room. They did nothing to alleviate the gloom.

Few respectable travelers could be found here at this hour. Most stayed away from the main hall after hours when the scum slithered out of the woodwork. Some nursed their drinks in silence at the bar. Several boisterous groups were liquored up and causing minor squabbles amongst themselves. The trio skirted them in an effort to avoid trouble. Ancient planks creaked here and there as Frost led his people to a corner set of tables from which they could observe everything. A tiled window at their backs could be used for a quick escape in a pinch.

A homely serving wench appeared almost as soon as the trio seated themselves. They ordered ale and stew, and said a fourth person would be joining them shortly. Frost shrugged off his soaked cloak and dumped in a soggy lump beside his chair. The wench returned with three mugs of ale, and said the stew would arrive shortly. They passed the time surveying the atmosphere and layout.

To their right was large hearth that did little to heat more than the area immediately in front of it. The embers had not been tended for some time and the fire was in danger of dying out. Between the hearth and the bar that had seen better days was the staircase accessing the upper floors. Frost hadn't noticed the building was a multi-level structure until now.

The patrons at the bar and at the tables closest to Frost's group minded their own business and made a conscious effort to ignore the ruckus on the other side of the room. Even the serving wenches and the establishment's owner shied away as much as possible. Some patrons got up and left in search of quieter surroundings.

The center of attention was a solid man about six feet in height, wearing worn leather boots, brown leather pants, pieces of chain mail hung from a wide, worn leather belt, and a sword hung from each side. A leather tunic matched the man's pants, and covered a well-muscled chest. Gauntleted arms rested lightly on the table, but an experienced person could see he could spring into action in an instant. He had a dark tan from spending the majority of his time outdoors. The most unsettling feature, besides the dark demeanor, was the chromed metal wings fanning up and away along the sides of his skull, and the polarized lens covering the right eye. This gave the boisterous man a most forbidding look people shied away from.

Frost observed him without looking like he was doing so, and knew without a doubt the man knew he was being watching.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer. I believe that is the saying on your world," Kodec replied, pulling out an empty chair. She draped the saturated cloak on the back of the chair, and sat.

"Where did you learn so much about our world?" Private Horwitz asked.

"The Sorceress was my friend long before your grandfather was an itch in your great-grandfather's pants," she replied evenly. "I don't know _what_ she sees in your people." Kodec turned her attention to Frost, lightening her tone. "His name is Blade. He's the most feared mercenary on the planet, to say nothing of this part of the Horde Empire. If I were you I'd steer clear of him while watching your back. Observing him like you are is _not _to way to do it."

"Too late," Johnson muttered.

The wench arrived with a tray laden with bowls for the four of them and a drink for Kodec. As the girl left, Blade slammed his empty mug down upon the table, wiped the back of one hand across his mouth, and rose. People scooted their chairs noisily out of the way as the mercenary made his way across the room.

"Well, what have we here?" Blade asked, more to himself than the table occupants. "Haven't seen your like around here."

"We're new in town. Just arrived," Frost said around a mouth full of what he classified as the Eternian equivalent beef stew.

Blade dropped the drunken demeanor slightly as he placed his hands in the table and leaned down to speak quietly. "I know you aren't from around here."

Frost's stomach clenched involuntarily, and it had nothing to do with the food.

"Last night there was an assault on Palace Eternia. Rumor has it a sizeable force blasted its way in to rescue imprisoned humans, and then blasted their way out again. Now, outsiders like you are prowling around the countryside." Blade raised a hand to forestall any stupid attempts against him. "I don't care about your grievance against King Hiss. Just stay out of my business and out of my way. And, no, I won't go telling the Snake Men about seeing you here. You've given me no reason to."

"As my companion said," Kodec spoke up, keeping her voice neutral, "we're just passing through. We'll be gone in the morning."

Blade nodded, straightened, and left without another word.

"We had best leave in the morning," Kodec said.

"You believe him?" Horwitz replied.

Kodec nodded. "He may be the deadliest man in this part of the galaxy, but he is not without honor. If we leave as I said we would, he will continue on his way without alerting the Snake Men."

"Sounds like a plan to me. I doubt Adrian is here, anyway," Frost replied. "This stew isn't half-bad."

Johnson wrinkled his nose. "No. It's _all_ bad."

"Earthers," Kodec muttered to herself. She wondered once again what it was the Sorceress found so appealing in them.

Palace Eternia

King Hiss surveyed the carnage wrought by the Earthers dispassionately. This was only a minor setback to him. The losses to his army were a nuisance, but that may change if these Earthers were allowed to roam free for very much longer. To top it off, not only had they rescued the Sorceress; they were now hiding in a place he tried unsuccessfully to break into many times.

Then there was the matter of the freed slaves. Hiss had his suspicions about who helped the slaves and their liberators escape from the caverns. The suspect had done so on several occasions just to annoy King Hiss. Hiss knew he'd have to take care of that particular sleeping problem sooner or later. It was starting to look like it would be the former of the two options.

"We know they are hiding in Castle Grayskull," General Rattlor was saying. "Let me lead a force strong enough to take the castle."

"And how do you propose to lower the jawbridge? Ask them nicely?" Hiss demanded.

"Evil-Lyn claims to be able to bring the bridge down," Rattlor countered, tail twitching back and forth in irritation.

Hiss turned to his most trusted lackey. "Kobra Khan, take a small force to observe the movements of these humans. _Do not engage them._ They have already proven themselves to be extremely unpredictable. Watch them. Study them. Once you have their weaknesses noted _then_ we will strike." He wheeled suddenly on General Rattlor; who took a reflexive step backward. Hiss concluded, "We will use our Horde allies to gain entry. Then Castle Grayskull and all its secrets will finally be mine."

Teela tried her best not to look unnerved by Hiss' near-proclamation. Much as she despised what she had been forced to do in the interests of saving as many people as she could from the Snake Men, allowing King Hiss to gain the power of the Elders and to possess the vast library of knowledge within the castle's ancient walls, was simply too much for her conscience to bear. She had to do something, but what?

Kobra Khan departed to gather some of the best warriors and head for the Graylands. Workers continued to labor along side human slaves to repair the damage wrought by the Guardian Force in their devastating raid. Teela wandered the corridors lost in thought as she struggled with warring emotions about what to do.

Evil-Lyn trailed Teela until she entered a deserted part of the palace. "Still fretting over the Sorceress?" Evil-Lyn snorted. "She's just one more casualty in this war. I imagine her suffering is over by now."

Evil-Lyn's smug demeanor was more than Teela take at this point. Teela rounded on Evil-Lyn so suddenly; the witch didn't have a chance to stop. Teela grabbed the woman roughly by the collar and hauled her in close. "The Sorceress was a kind and gentle woman who never did anything to you. She didn't deserve to die like that. You wouldn't know what it's like to care for someone, do you? All you know is your petty ambitions. You don't care you gets hurt as long as you achieve your goal."

Evil-Lyn was thrown backward a few steps, as Teela turned away, but not fast enough to not see the tears starting to roll from the warrior woman's eyes. Evil-Lyn made a move to follow, but a voice in her head reined her in.

_Let her go. You've done quite enough already. Don't antagonize her further._

"Why not? It's fun. If I can cause enough dissention around here, Castle Grayskull could 'accidentally' fall into _my_ hands."

_Be wary of your plans, daughter. They will be your undoing. And the Sorceress isn't as dead as you think. Beware. I won't be there to help you if your plan backfires._

"I don't need your help, mother," Evil-Lyn broke the telepathic link, and set off to plan how she could steal Grayskull from King Hiss when the time comes.

Snake Mountain

Dark Side of Eternia

Colonel Markson made a supreme pain in the butt of himself to Skeletor, but it was all to no avail. Skeletor refused to provide transportation back to Castle Grayskull, or even to the western edge of the Sands of Time desert bordering on the Evergreen Forest. Finally, Jon gave up the fight lest he and his people be thrown out of the only safe haven in this part of the world.

The freed captives were treated for the injuries, fed, and taken to a vast underground complex where they would live until they were transported back to the other side of the planet. The transports must have been running way behind schedule for there were over two thousand people in the Spartan living complex. There was enough room for four times that number.

Shocktroopers moved among the frightened people distributing food, medical supplies, pillows, and blankets. One woman a few inches shorter than Colonel Markson moved with the robots comforting every person she met. She appeared unmindful of the dirty rags that had once been a plain, yet stunning green dress. Red strands of hair constantly drooped into her eyes when she stooped to talk to someone. Despite the disheveled state, the woman projected an air of commanding one usually found in the military or in politicians.

King Randor made his rounds to assure the newcomers they would be going home as soon as possible. Up to this point he had not seen the woman taking such great pains to see to the comfort of others before her. Their eyes met across a sea of people making themselves comfortable on cots. Time slowed to a stop as the pair locked gazes. Jon watched the encounter from a safe distance, perking up as the man and woman made their way toward each other. Their movements grew harried the closer they got to one another.

The pair collided into a loving embrace the likes of which Jon Markson rarely witnessed. This was possibly the opening Jon had been waiting for. He lingered near the entrance to the immense cavern waiting for the pair to approach. Both had tears of joy streaming down their cheeks as the walked toward the colonel, arms around each other's waists.

They halted before the colonel, and an overwhelmed King Randor replied, "I can't describe how I feel at this moment. Colonel Markson, allow me to introduce my wife? Queen Marlena. I thought she had been killed six months ago in a battle with the Snake Men. You brought her back to me. And for that, you have my thanks."

Hesitantly, Jon shook the king's proffered hand. "Does this mean I can get that ride out of here?"

"But where would you go?" Marlena asked.

"Half of my people should be in Castle Grayskull by now. I need to get back to them before those slimy snakes attack."

"No one can get into Grayskull. Even Granamyr could not get in. And he's almost as powerful as King Hiss," Randor said.

"The Sorceress can, if she's still alive," Jon countered.

Marlena looked shocked. "The Sorceress still lives? We all thought she was dead. Where has she been all these years?"

"Why don't we get you tended to first?" Randor suggested. "Take a bath, have some food, and get some rest before you pester the colonel with questions."

Marlena reluctantly agreed. The thought of the Sorceress still living energized her, and it was doubtful she would get any rest until at least a few of her questions were answered.

As the pair stepped past the colonel, Randor whispered, "After you have answered her questions about the Sorceress, and your people, I will see what I can do about transport back to Castle Grayskull."

"Your welcome," Jon replied, though the pair was already out of earshot.

Horde Battleship _Hoscar_

Deep Space

7 June 2017

General Rongar surveyed the organized chaos that was Sagan's workshop, and the partially disassembled battle suit standing in the far corner. The outer panels had been stripped away to reveal aging circuits, pistons, gears, and biomechanical musculature. Much of it had deteriorated over the course of ages in storage. None of it was beyond Horde science to repair, however. It would just be a matter of time.

Rongar could hardly wait. This suit was a monster. The designs only enhanced that theory. The initial reports on the battle suits recovered by the Earthers increased his opinion that this suit was the only thing that could stand up to the other six. Individually or all at once, Rongar cared little. Firepower was nothing if the man inside the suit could not use the suit's abilities to their full effect. Rongar intended to master this suit before engaging the Earthers. Then he would destroy them, and end their threat to Horde Prime's empire.

Sagan walked out from behind the battle suit, saw his commander and friend, and snapped to attention. Rongar waved off the formality. This was probably the only being in the empire he did not stand on ceremony with. Rongar handed Sagan a data pad containing the latest intelligence reports. Although Sagan was a scientist by trade, he studied military strategy as a hobby. Some of his amateur insights proved more accurate than those whose job it was to study the reports and draw conclusions from them. By now, Sagan was so used to his commander asking for insight on such things, he quit stating for the record that he was not a trained analyst.

After reading the information twice, Sagan replied, "Splitting up is not tactically sound unless you're sure you can get away with it."

"True," Rongar agreed. "However, these Earth people have proven themselves quite capable, more so than many commanders are willing to admit. What do you think they are up to?"

"Well, it's clear they think there is a way to cure the Sorceress in Castle Grayskull. The fact that they gained entry to the castle where Hiss could not is hardly surprising," Sagan replied. He studied the information again. "He's a little arrogant to think his poison killed her when he hasn't seen the body."

"Indeed. His ego is nearly as big as the planet. I'll bet the Sorceress did, in fact perish, but only her physical body. That can be repaired, if the stories of the potential power of the magic contained within Grayskull are remotely accurate." Rongar grew thoughtful for a moment. "Healing the Sorceress can't be the only reason for going to Eternia."

"Maybe they are acting on the information they stole from our computers," Sagan suggested.

"Elaborate."

"Well, they may be trying to piece together what happened to He-Man, his sister, She-Ra, and all their allies. This attack on Palace Eternia could to rescue the Sorceress, while important, may have been a diversion to steal valuable intelligence from the palace computer," Sagan surmised. "We know Hiss has not purged the records like he was ordered to do on several occasions."

"I knew that might come back to haunt us. Horde Prime wouldn't let me send in a specialist team to wipe the computer core. That core was the only one outside of Horde World still containing the planet's location where He-Man and company have been sent." Rongar grew thoughtful again. "It really doesn't matter. Even if Captain Majourny's people do decipher the coded data, it'll do them no good. That planet is so heavily defended not even this so-called Guardian Force could get in there; to say nothing of breaking out."

Ever the realist, Sagan replied, "But there _is_ a chance regardless of how slim it is."

"There is," Rongar mused, "but I think their needs are more immediate than trying to find He-Man and She-Ra."

"I'm not sure I follow. Returning He-Man and She-Ra would certainly give many worlds hope that the Empire could be defeated."

"True, but think about this. Our arrival on their world effectively forced them into a war they cannot hope to win. Even with the mystical armor, they are hopelessly outnumbered. What they need most right now are-"

"-allies," Sagan finished. The reality dawned on him as well. "But how many will be willing to take up the fight against the Empire after having been beaten down and losing their icons of hope?"

"_That_, my friend, is what will be so interesting to see," Rongar said, smiling devilishly.

"And what of King Hiss?"

Rongar made a face of disgust. "What of him?"

"Are you going to inform him of what you suspect? And what of the garrison commander on Planet Phantos? Surely, he will attempt to capture the _Eternia_ and her crew," Sagan reminded his friend. That's what Rongar liked most about these discussions. Sagan never let him forget details.

"As far as King Hiss is concerned, let his ego do all the work. I'm sure Colonel Markson will embarrass him." Rongar held up a hand. "I know the Colonel is there. The data our spies sent indicates he is very short on diplomacy. It would _really_ break my heart if they handed Hiss his head. All five of them.

"Captain Majourny will likely be tasked with establishing some sort of diplomatic relations with Queen Elmora. Xandran is the garrison commander; a fool of a man who couldn't command his way out of a dark room. I will send an advisory message to him to leave Majourny and her crew alone. I expect he will disregard it and do something incredibly stupid. Jo-jo will likely serve his head up on a platter for his efforts."

They shared a quiet chuckle over that, then turned their attention to the progress of refurbishing the battle suit.


	13. Ch 12

Twelve

Castle Grayskull

Greylands, Eternia

7 June 2017

_ "Will you please stop pouting? It's getting annoying, and it's unseemly for you."_

_ They were now in the tower opposite of where the Sorceress' private chambers were located. This tower was a small library packed with many bookcases. Yet this was tiny compared to the main library deep in the aft bowels of the castle._

_ "What do you expect? You tell me I have died, and that the castle has me trapped it this non-corporeal state until my physical form is repaired. Then you tell me the castle cannot restore me fully. It'll take someone with a 'refined touch' to do it," Teela'Na said, sourly summarizing the events to date._

_ "Your physical body died. You are still quite alive, but in a different state of existence. Our current state is not compatible with the reality we inhabit," the man Teela'Na now knew as Dannon, her late husband, replied._

_ "Kodec told me we are beings of energy once the mortal shell is stripped away. I don't know how she found out, maybe while protecting the magic and knowledge stored within, and to aid those requiring assistance as much as she was able, or allowed._

_ Now things had changed. Now she was less the Guardian of Grayskull and more a guardian for the galaxy. Was this what the Elders eventually saw as history unfolded? Or was some other force at work here that had yet to reveal itself? Before now, Teela'Na had always been in control. She followed where the powers of Grayskull, the magical power of the galaxy, pointed. Grayskull had become a nexus for that power with the establishment of the Elders and the consignment of King Grayskull's power in his namesake castle._

_ The galaxy had changed, and it was the Sorceress who had to change with it. And she was afraid. Afraid to let go of the past Dannon represented. Afraid to face the uncertain future laid out before her._

_ The being, which had once been called Dannon, perked up. "That's it. You are very close to the truth. Well, one or two of them, but it's a start. Now take the next step."_

_ A portal of the purest light materialized where the door to the library should be. This was the road from this world into the next._

_ The time had arrived._

_ Teela'Na bolted from her chair. "Dannon, please don't go. Stay just a little longer," she pleaded._

_ "I have been here for over thirty years. I have stayed too long as it is," he replied gently. He placed his hands on the woman's trembling shoulders and moved her aside._

_ "All right. Then I'm coming with you."_

_ Dannon stopped at the threshold of the portal of light. "You can't come with me. We will not see each other again, my love. Remember me always and know that I will always love you."_

_ Teela'Na tried to make her mouth work, but could not. Her lips trembled and her voice was caught in her throat. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks. "I will always love you," she cried. She doubted she could ever love anyone ever again._

_ Dannon walked to Teela'Na in three leisurely strides, and enfolded her in a last loving embrace. "You have new friends who care about you." He broke the fierce embrace and stared deep into his wife's crystal blue eyes. "You _will_ find love again. I promise. You may even find it in a most unexpected place."_

_ Teela'Na tried to stop him, but Dannon kept pushing his wife away. She changed tactics as Dannon stepped into the pool of white light, and dove through after him, screaming, "NNNNOOOOOOOOO!"_

_ Teela'Na broke through the white void almost instantly. Instead of being in some beautiful land on a higher plane of existence, as many fables told, she found herself falling toward the Pool of Power and her physical form floating within. The error of her way was realized moments before she collided with said physical form, and Teela'Na's world went pitch black once more._

Fertile Plains

Kodec set out with her companions at first light. They traveled southwest looking for signs of a group headed away from the Evergreen forest. Unfortunately, the steady rain from the day before had wiped away any tracks that had been made in the tall grass. The humidity began to set in as the sun rose toward noon. Off towards****the west they could see the gathering clouds of another storm approaching. Kodec explained that they had arrived in the middle of the spring rainy season. That knowledge elicited a few groans. A few groans resounded as she made that announcement.****

It was just past noon with the storm clods slowly moving in when Kodec stopped suddenly. Just after noon, with the storm clouds slowly approaching, Kodec stopped in her tracks, staring off into the distance. Frost and the others grew nervous standing out in the open for anyone to see while Kodec stared at something only she could see.

"I have to return to Grayskull," Kodec said suddenly.

"What's happened?" Frost asked, looking around cautiously.

"We are not about to be attacked. It seems what I have been waiting for has finally happened. Figures I would be kilometers away when it happened," Kodec replied, almost irritated.

"When what happened?" Frost demanded. "Have the Snake Men attacked? What?"

Kodec sighed, impatient to return to the castle. "The Sorceress has been released from the Pool of Power where her body was being repaired."

Private Johnson looked unconvinced. "How do you know that?"

"I was the guardian of the castle before the present Sorceress. I am still in tune with the castle. Since the Sorceress is a creature of magic like myself, I could feel her being returned to your companions." Kodec had to fight to keep her temper in check. She wasn't used to being questioned this way. A wave of her hand, an alteration in the flow of magical power to condense in one spot, and a glowing oval portal blossomed before them.

The shifting colors and the hum emanating from the dimensional gate mesmerized the privates.

"We can come back after the Sorceress has been attended to," Kodec said, gesturing to the portal she had created.

Frost backed away. "No thanks. I'm staying." Kodec fixed him with her best 'I dare you to defy me' stare, but the corporal refused to back down. "I'm not leaving Adrian out here alone. Go do what you feel you need to do. I'm going to do what _I_ feel I need to do."

"You don't know these lands. The place I had in mind to go next can be dangerous. Traveling the countryside alone is not wise," Kodec explained with unusual civility, even for her.

"So draw me a map. I'll find my way. If you insist on someone going with me, ask Anyssa if she wants to help search." Frost ordered Johnson and Horwitz to return. Both protested loudly, but Frost shut them up, and shut them down.

Kodec developed a grudging respect for this dark-skinned human from the planet Earth. "Why are you doing this? Staying behind, I mean," she asked after a sullen Johnson and Horwitz stepped through the portal.

Frost's answer was simple. "Because he'd do it for me."

Kodec nodded, and then resumed her typical demeanor. "Stay here, and try not to do anything stupid."

Frost arched an eyebrow, saying after the portal disappeared, "In the middle of nowhere?"

Castle Grayskull

Kodec stepped from the meadow into a throne room full of activity. Her eyes drifted immediately to the spot near the giant viewing screen where prospective candidates were literally dropped into the pool of power where their acceptability to be the new Sorceress of Grayskull took place. An entire rectangular section of stones were gone where one stone, the one the candidate stood upon, would usually drop into the bowels of the castle. Blinding white light poured from the gap forcing the spectators to shield their eyes and still turn away.

The light began to dim as the missing section of floor slid smoothly back into place. Upon that makeshift platform lay the Sorceress. Lieutenant Garber detailed two people to wrap the woman in her blankets and take her up to her private chambers in the left tower.

Kodec found Anyssa and passed along Frost's request to join him in his continued search for Adrian Cobretti. She quickly agreed, and took off to collect her gear. Lieutenant Garber decided to have a few other things sent along with her.

While the pair gathered equipment, Kodec followed the pair carrying the Sorceress up to her private chambers. She opened the heavy wooden door, which swung easily inward, and the detail entered chambers very few people****had ever seen.

The small window set in the left wall towards****the front of the castle, emitted very little light to see by. A gesture from Kodec ignited torches set in sconces around the room. On the opposite wall ten feet from****the window was an angled overhang mounted above an elaborately carved Ironwood chair with deep red cushions. The only other piece of furniture in the room was the ornate bed. Carved from a block of stone, the sleeping area was sloped so that the sleeper remained centered, even****if all the bedding was removed. A winged headboard****resembling a hawk or a falcon rose up over the head of the bed. The outside edge at the foot end was rimmed with teeth, the tallest at the bed's corners measuring nearly sixteen inches tall. Centered between the tall teeth was a large, oval-shaped, ruby that measured****twelve inches across at its long ends. The ruby glowed faintly with a life of its own, though no one knew what its purpose was.

Kodec thanked the pair for moving the Sorceress, and gently shooed them away. She sat on the side of the bed at the Sorceress' right hand, and placed the fingertips of her hand to the slumbering woman's face. After a few moments of concentration, Kodec let out a relieved sigh. She hadn't even realized she had been holding her breath. The moment didn't last long, for Kodec sensed an unwanted presence, and steeled her nerve suppressing the shudder of distaste that went down her back.

"So T_e lynia_ lives again."

Kodec didn't have to look to know who it was. She could clearly picture the tall, white-haired woman with a****severely pale complexion. "You have no business here, Moria Vadorian."

"Oh? And who is going to make me leave, Kodec Ungor? You?" Moria walked toward the bed, the whisper of hervelvet skirts the only sound she made. "We both know that the crusty old dragon in Darksmoke Mountain has the power to correct what****_they_did to her, but lacks the refined control to do so successfully."****You have admitted the same about yourself. By process of elimination, I'd say that this would leave only me.

"No, Moria. I will not have you holding this over our heads later. Especially over hers," Kodec said evenly, gesturing to her comatose friend.

"Do you truly believe I would stoop _that_ low?" When Kodec turned, Moria raised a slender hand, quickly adding, "Do not answer that. Your lack of trust wounds me."

Kodec nearly laughed. "Trust you? I'd sooner trust Horde Prime."

"There is no need to be insulting," Moria snapped, indignant.

Kodec sighed wearily. She really was limited in her resources, and Moria knew it. "Very well. The Sorceress' life is too important to waste time****arguing with the likes of you," Kodec replied, heading for the door. "There is a matter I must attend to first." She pictured the almost gleeful look on the pale woman's face in her mind. "_Don't_ do _anything _until I get back. You may have the 'refined control' to do the work, but you still need the strength of another to complete the task the first time. We both know _that_."

"Oh, very well," Moria sighed, outwardly dejected.

Fertile Plains

"You didn't have to stay, Jake," Frost replied. An uncomfortable silence had fallen between the two since Kodec departed fifteen minutes before.

"I know. But you are a Jarhead, I'm a ground-pounder, and Adrian is an Air-baby. Hell of a combination. We may be from difference services, but we've put those rivalries aside when it counts. I'd say this is one of those times," Jake explained at length, an unusual event for him.

Frost narrowed his eyes and gazed harder at the man. "Okay. Who are you, and what have you done with the real Jake Rockwell?"

"Hey, just because I act like an insufferable jerk sometimes doesn't mean I don't have deep thoughts from time to time." Jake thought on that a moment, added, "I kill brain cells every time I have deep thoughts so I keep it to a minimum."

"That I believe," Frost replied with a smile.

"I was just thinking about the Sorceress. Dying like that in Adrian's arms isn't something I'd wish on anyone," Jake said soberly. "Now she's alive again? That's just a little bit more than this Army puke's simple mind can handle."

Frost grunted agreement. "I hope he's all right. The more I think about Anyssa's description of the effects of this mind sifter thing, the more I worry about him."

Jake checked his watch for the tenth time in three minutes. "Thirty minutes. What are they doing? Having lunch?"

Frost was about to remind him that patience was a virtue when the portal materialized twenty feet away.

"Ask and thou shall receive," Jake replied, grinning.

They had been sitting in the tall grass to be as inconspicuous as possible. No one and nothing passed through the area. There was nothing but mile after mile of tall grass to be seen. Frost couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw a splash of dark green to the southwest, on the horizon. He speculated it was another forest. That was the direction they had been heading when Kodec stopped their journey to return to Castle Grayskull.

Over a minute passed before a lone figure stepped through the portal, and afterward, it dissolved immediately. Anyssa pulled back the hood with one hand while dropping items hanging from the left shoulder with the other. She heaved a grateful sigh once all the items she carried were unloaded.

Lieutenant Garber hadsent along two laser rifles as well as Frost's sniper rifle. Spare energy cells were stored in a bulging satchel with ammo for the sniper rifle, as well as some other odds and ends. There were also a container of food rations, enough to last them a week.

Anyssa carried her bow, quiver, and razor-sharp short swords slung across her back. The bow and quiver were repositioned outside the cloak while the swords remained hidden beneath. Frost was startled to see she wore tight breeches, soft boots, and a loose-fitting tunic. When he inquired about it, she answered that it was Kodec's stringent recommendation she cover the rather revealing metal garb her people wore. Traveling the lands without drawing too much attention was a must these days.

"Oh, by the way," Anyssa said as they began the long march to the southwest. "Since no one thought to ask, your cranky friend's name is Kodec Ungor. An old friend of the Sorceress, or so she claims."

"Well, we can't confirm or deny that at the moment, can we?" Frost said. "Did you see the Sorceress?"  
Anyssa nodded. "She looked healthy enough to me. And quite alive, though she was either in a coma or a deep sleep."

"That's something, at least," Frost replied. Jake remained unusually quite.

"Oh, and Kodec gave me this," Anyssa said, digging around in the satchel she wore under the cloak. She produced a folded piece of parchment. The map indicated several small villages between them and the Prasinus Forest to the southwest. "Kodec said to enter the forest near the northern tip of the River of Prosperity."

"There's a village there that isn't on the map?" Jake suggested.

Anyssa nodded. "Kodec didn't say as much, but that's the impression I got."

"She knows were Adrian is," Frost said, frustration creeping into his voice. He hated it when people felt they had to divulge less information than was necessary.

Anyssa caught the man's change in tone. "Don't be too quick to judge her. She may only suspect where he is. We'll know more if someone in the villages ahead of us says something."

"Well, we'll never find out standing her jawing about it," Jake said, starting off in a southwesterly direction.

Frost and Anyssa trailed behind keeping watch for trouble. The storm was rapidly moving in so they had to hasten their pace to make the first village before it hit.

The trio just made it. Stiff winds plucked at their capes and slammed them from the west forcing them to lean forward to make any progress. Jake spotted a combination tavern and inn like the one they had****stayed in the previous night. The roiling gray masses overhead unleashed their burden as they entered the inn slightly less rundown than the last one.

There were few patrons in the main hall, indicating that while the owner did a fair amount of business, it wasn't well traveled. The breaking storm darkened the skies to the point that more candles and torches had to be lit to dispel the growing gloom. Securing rooms took all of a few seconds, and then the trio took seats in a corner from which they could monitor the action.

The owner, a rotund woman in her late forties, shuffled from behind the bar to personally deliver the drinks Anyssa ordered. Anyssa paid for them with a few copper coins from the purse Kodec had given her****prior to leaving Grayskull. The warrior woman proved to be a sound interrogator, also. She flashed several gold crowns, and explained the owner could have them in exchange for information.

The portly woman milled it over in her head, eyes repeatedly straying to the main entrance as if she expected someone of importance at any moment. Another long look at the coins lying in Anyssa's hand made the****woman's mind up. She plopped herself down in a wooden chair, wiping her hands on the apron tied at the waist. Anyssa laid the coins on the scarred tabletop inches from herself. The message conveyed was plain. Payment would only come if the information were worthwhile.

The innkeeper, Fleya, spoke of rumors of an attack by outlanders – offworlders – on the palace. Speculations ran wild from the freeing of slaves to the slaying of King Hiss and his top commanders. Frost was curious as to how such rumors could travel so far in such a short amount of time. Fleya swore she could hear faint sounds of the battle two nights ago, which tracked with reports from travelers passing through the day after the attack.

She also said there were persistent whisperings that the Sorceress of Grayskull had finally returned. This seemed to give her hope that He-man would also be returning soon along with his companions. Anyssa wasn't really interested in this information, but Jake and Frost were trying to hide their eagerness for whatever they could find out.

Frost asked if anyone had seen a group of maybe three to four people passing through. One of them a human possibly****dressed in armor. Fleya thought for a moment on that. The longer the silence stretched, the lower Frost's hopes sank.

The innkeeper shook her head at first, and then stopped. "Wait. I did hear from one of the local hunters that he spotted a group north of the village a ways. He said there was a man dressed in some sort of strange clothing like armor. Three Quaedians accompanied him. They were coming from the direction of the Evergreen Forest, so I was told."

The companions regarded one another with silent, knowing looks. This had to be it.

"Did the hunter say where this group was headed?" Anyssa asked.

Fleya shook her head. "But there can be only on place for them to go. Their village lies in Prasinus Forest several kilometers past the River of Prosperity."

Anyssa slid the coins across the table to the woman, and thanked her for her time. She added that if anyone should ask about her and her companions, they were headed south toward Pelleezia. Fleya looked skeptical. Anyssa sighed dramatically as if she was being robbed, fished out another gold crown. Fleya stood, but did not depart. Her memory was evidently not as****cloudy as her guests would have liked. Anyssa fished out several silver coins and handed them over. She caught the innkeeper's hand and squeezed roughly. Fleya got the point in a hurry, and scurried away.

"Well, that was interesting," Jake commented, sipping his ale.

"Yes," Anyssa agreed. "Quaedians don't usually venture so far from their lands. Must have been a scouting party."

Frost frowned into his mug. "I'm getting the distinct impression more people know about our being here than would generally be healthy."

"That's why we'll press on in the morning. We should make the Quaedian village by evening."

"You know where it is?" Jake asked. "I mean even without Fleya's directions?"

Anyssa nodded. "Don't worry. They won't harm Adrian. I do wonder what prompted them to take him away to their village, though."

Each retreated to private thoughts to ponder the question. There was more going on here than met the eye, almost as if they were blundering into something without realizing it. Well, hopefully tomorrow would start yielding more answers instead of more questions.

Darksmoke Mountain

A new generation windraider tore through the skies, heading northward. It had****left Palace Eternia at first light with one occupant. Several serpent guards had****tried to stop the pilot from leaving, and were rewarded with multiple nasty bruises for performing their duty. Teela hated to have to rough them up, but they had left her with no choice. She doubted her explanation of performing an aerial search for the missing captives and their liberators would hold up for long. Not if someone saw her speeding away north instead of east.

Teela milled over her conversation with her mother many times. It was hard to believe she was still alive, though not it probably didn't matter. Hiss' poison would have done its grisly****work by now. She just couldn't stop thinking about her mother's answer about her new friends and what they could offer. Hope. That concept was so alien to Eternia and the other subjugated worlds of the Horde Empire no one really knew what it meant. Teela knew. She'd been secretly working toward it in the two years since He-Man's fall. The last thing she needed was for these Earth people to come blundering in and ruin things. Then again, they already appeared to do more in a few months than she had accomplished in two years.

That's why she was racing north at the windraider's top speed. She had to talk to someone. Someone she could trust. There was only one being she could talk to, which was why she was flying toward Darksmoke Mountain. She had considered the Oracle of the Crystal Sea, buried deep in the heart of the Crystal Mountains at the western coast of the northern continent. She had quickly on****the basis that the Oracle would not be able to answer some of the questions she had about her mother's new friends, or the role the Sorceress now played in the unfolding events.

The Ice Mountains, where a certain wise old dragon made his home, dominated the extreme northern portion of the northern continent. It was the dividing line where the north polar cap began.

The vast Sands of Mystery Desert gave way to the Ice Mountains. Teela turned toward the east where her destination lay near the coast. Though she had dressed warm for the trip, it was still freezing at this time of the year. Fortunately, there wasn't a storm in sight to hinder the flight; starting the engines after they cooled down might be a problem, but she had prepared for that.

Another hour passed before Darksmoke Mountain materialized ahead. The peak resembled a slender-necked volcano, which Teela suspected it once had been long ago. Now, it served as the home for the oldest, wisest, and most powerful dragon which had****ever lived. A purple dome capped the throat of the long-dead volcano to keep the temperature inside tolerable. A narrow ice bridge arched away from the giant double doors set in the southern face of the mountain. It joined with another peak whose top had been lopped off to create a flat surface almost two hundred meters away.

Teela brought the windraider in for a landing facing into the stiff westerly wind. Thrusters in the undercarriage engaged as the main drives shut down. Despite the winds, Teela brought the ship down squarely on the ice pad with a lot of help from the onboard computer. She shut down all systems and climbed out of the open cockpit. Footing on the platform, and especially the bridge, were borderline treacherous, but Teela negotiated both with the use of her extendable battle staff.

The great doors to the mountain retreat were more impressive up close than they were from a distance. On her first trip here, He-Man had been hard-pressed to open those doors. Since then, they were much easier to open due to a little magic, and some good old-fashioned grease on the hinges. Teela shoved the right-hand door inward with hardly any effort. The interior remained much the same over the years. Tapestries, a couple of shields, and few odd weapons adorned the walls of the circular chamber. The floor along the wall was littered with piles of gems of every sort, some as big as a fist, chests overflowing with gold and silver coins, jewelry, and the odd pouch of platinum.

Just the kinds of stuff one would expect to find in a dragon's lair.

Though the dome above was not translucent, there was plenty of light to see, and Teela was never able to discover where the light came from. A hole twenty feet across dominated the center of the chamber. This led into the bowels of the extinct volcano. A place no human had ever ventured.

Out of that hole rose a sight any normal person would have immediately fled in fear from. Standing a full thirty feet high from the haunches up, the oldest and wisest of the dragons levitated up to sit on the edge of the pit. Yellow eyes regarded its visitor dispassionately. It was just as likely to eat her in one swallow as greet her warmly. When it smiled, one never knew if it was a predator-prey thing, or simple courtesy. Dragons were extremely complex creatures, and their mood swings, according to legend, tended to have deadly consequences.

Teela never quite got used to the sight of Granamyr. Red scales gleamed in the light that seemed to come from everywhere. A paler red section of scales ran from under the chin, down the chest and belly to the tail. The oddest feature of all was the great horned helmet. Of all the odd denizens of Eternia Teela had ever met, this was the oddest. A dragon wearing a helmet? Most people would have laughed, had they not seen it for themselves.

"Greetings, Teela," Granamyr said cordially. "I had not expected to see you again so soon."

"I know," Teela replied, fidgeting. "There has been a…a development. My mother has returned."

Granamyr did not look surprised, though it would have been hard to tell if he had been. "I know. She is in the company of humans from a planet called Earth."

Teela nodded. That correlated with the intelligence reports she managed to sneak peeks at from time to time. "Why come back now? She's been killed by King Hiss, or soon will be."

"You are mistaken. The Sorceress' physical form did cease to function," the old dragon admitted. That hit Teela like a hammer blow to the stomach. Granamyr saw the stricken look, and quickly continued. "However, now that the magical blocks are****lowered, I sense she has been revived by the castle's power. However, the ailment we spoke on before has not been cured. That is beyond the castle's abilities."

Teela brightened a little bit despite her resentment toward her mother. "If the Castle****Grayskull can't do it, who can?"

"That is already being done. The help comes from a most surprising source." It was a rare event when this ancient being, which had seen just about everything, was surprised. "I hope this comforts you despite your resentment."

"She lied to me, Granamyr!" Teela burst out. "She took away knowledge of who my mother really was. I know, you have explained the reasons why, and I probably would have done the same if it had been me in her place, but I still can't let go. The man I knew as my father died before he could tell me. Though he once told me I would find out from my mother herself, I had hoped that would change. It didn't. Now, he's dead, and I don't know who to trust anymore."

"These are dangerous times, Teela. We need all the allies we can get. You must put the past behind you****if you are to ever come to terms with your mother. This has hurt her as much as it has you."

"I guess I'm still not ready to face it." Teela didn't really feel better, but it did feel good to talk about it. Granamyr was always a good being to come to for that, and he did not just show polite interest.****

Granamyr sank slowly into the pit as the warrior woman turned to leave. He knew had known****she would seek him out once the Sorceress returned to Eternia, and he'd been right. His head almost disappeared below the lip when Teela stopped to ask one last question.

"What are they, Granamyr? What are these people to us?"

The dragon rose until his head cleared the pit's lip. "Do you mean the Sorceress' new friends?"

"I mean the role she has been forced into. What are these ancient battle suits – these Guardians, as you call them – to us?" Teela was struggling once again to wrap her brain around this issue. One they had discussed several times in the past few months.

"They can do what He-Man and She-ra are forbidden to do. They can take the fight to the Horde. They can fight this war the way wars are fought. A stalemate is no longer an option. And many people will die before it is over," Granamyr explained at length, calmly, almost coldly.

"You still haven't answered my question," Teela said, her back still turned to him. "What _are_ they to us? Tell me! Why should I care what happens to them?"

Seeing no other way to extricate himself from this, Granamyr finally gave her the answer, though it may not be the one she wanted to hear. "They are our last, best hope for victory over the Horde."

That revelation shook Teela to the core. _Victory? Over the Horde? Was it _really _possible,_ she said to herself. Teela thanked Granamyr for his time, and left to ponder what he told her. Twice in two days, Teela's world had been turned inside out, and upside down. She dared not consider what tomorrow might bring. But one thing was for certain. Her mother was still alive. That alone was enough to keep her going so she could question the Sorceress about why she had done what she did. And, more importantly, find out if what Granamyr said was true about her actions hurting her more they did Teela.

Only time would tell.

Sands of Time Desert

Evil-Lyn left Palace Eternia at the earliest opportunity. She needed to have a short talk with her mother about what was going on, and find out why Moria was so interested in these Earthers. Evil-Lyn stepped through the time/space portal into Moria's realm hidden beneath the Sands of Time Desert. As the glow from the portal faded, Evil-Lyn called out to her mother, but received no response.

_Odd,_ Evil-Lyn thought, _She hardly ever leaves here anymore._

Moria's offspring methodically searched the vast underground complex, magical senses alert for anything. Nothing happened. And Evil-Lyn found absolutely no trace of Moria. Not even so much as a note could be found, not that Moria would have left one. It was vexing. How could one have a 'discussion' when one half of the party was not present? Evil-Lyn walked into the library where the magical pool lay. Its surface was as****smooth as glass. The eerie torchlight reflected Evil-Lyn's frustrated image back at her as she leaned on the stone rim.

"Where on Eternia have you gone, mother?" Evil-Lyn said to herself.

She recoiled as the pool flared to life. The picture in those strangely calm waters resolved into an image Evil-Lyn knew all too well. From the look of it, it had to be the private chambers of the Sorceress. Evil-Lyn had heard about it, but had never seen it for herself. In the image, Moria was bent over the side of an elaborate bed with a sweeping falcon at the head and teeth at the foot. Evil-Lyn recognized Kodec Ungor by a description her mother had****once made. The worst of it was the dawning realization that the Sorceress appeared to be _alive_. _And Moria was treating her!_

"What are you doing!" Evil-Lyn nearly screamed at the pool, knowing her mother would not be able to hear her.

Moria was indeed using her magic to cure the genetic ailment the Sorceress had been stricken with. Kodec Ungor was providing her own considerable magical strength so Moria could complete the task the first time, lest it didn't****take and they would****be forced to do it all over again.

The more she watched the more Evil-Lyn fumed over the images. Of all the questionable things Moria had done in her long life, Evil-Lyn would never have suspected her capable of betrayal. The communion broke, as Moria straightened, tired, but satisfied. Kodec grudgingly looked pleased. Their body language made it clear there was no love lost between them. Moria said something to Kodec, who grunted something in return. Moria sighed, shook her head, and set to the task of opening a time/space portal. Normally, it would have been a simple thing, but it was clear Moria had barely enough strength left to properly form the portal. She did manage it, however, and Evil-Lyn could hear the distinctive hum in the outer chamber. Hastily, she dispelled the imagery in the pool and turned to face the library entrance, arms folded beneath her breasts.

It wasn't but a few moments before a haggard and worn Moria Vadorian walked into the library. She pulled up short, surprised to see her daughter standing there. She was so tired Moria did not immediately register Evil-Lyn's demeanor.

"Have a rough time?" Evil-Lyn snarled. "Must have been a long day – wherever you were."

A warning bell sounded through the fog in Moria's brain. "My affairs are none of your concern."

"They are when you start helping our enemies."

The fog dissipated completely as realization set in. Evil-Lyn had seen her in the pool. She knew where she had been and probably guessed what she was doing.

"You think me a traitor?" Moria said, her voice calm while anger was quietly welling within her. Evil-Lyn suddenly found it hard to meet her mother's gaze. "Look at me, Moritënia," she commanded, though her voice was still soft**** "You think I would betray you? "

"I saw you helping Kodec Ungor. Why heal the Sorceress? That's one less enemy to worry about."

"She may be your enemy, but she is not mine. What I did, I did for my own reasons, as I always do. And I found out something interesting," Moria replied evenly. Tired as she was, the Ancient Queen was finding it difficult to keep her temper in check, even towards her own child. "It appears that things have changed regarding the stewardship of Castle Grayskull. The rumors of this mystic armor are true."

Evil-Lyn snorted derisively, "Myths and legends, that's all."

"Those myths and legends nearly tore you apart, remember?" Moria said, waving a hand at the pool.

Images flared to life below the glassy surface. The rescue of the Sorceress replayed in full before them. Evil-Lyn shuddered involuntarily as the black creature wearing its skeleton in the outside dropped like a cat from the rafters. It hissed like a feline, and had the reflexes faster than anything she had ever seen. Moria paused the replay when it got to the point where the Earther reverted to human form with the battle suit encasing him. This was after the embarrassment of having globe on her staff shattered by the warrior woman they rescued.

"Do you honestly still believe it to be myth?" Moria invited. "While I was healing the Sorceress I discovered she is now more powerful than ever before. Even without her own armor augmenting her abilities, the Sorceress is probably more powerful than you realize. She may even be a match for King Hiss."

Now things were getting ridiculous. "Oh, please," Lyn exclaimed, exasperated. "Even inside Grayskull, that little bird has never been much of a threat to anyone."

"As I said," Moria replied evenly, "things have changed, my daughter. I can vaguely remember back to the time before the coming of the Horde to our galaxy. There are stories within the power that I wield that tell of an age full of life and hope. And I can even recall of these armored warriors who kept the peace."

"What does that mean to us?" Evil-Lyn demanded. "Why should we care?"

"Because the time will come when we are forced to choose sides in the coming war. And it will come. It's only a matter of time."

"You still haven't answered my question," Evil-Lyn spat, her tone finally grating on the last shreds of her mother's nerves.

The Ancient woman whirled on her daughter as her tone grew dark and almost unfeeling. "Because theirs is a power, that, once fully realized, can save this galaxy -" Moria took Lyn's chin in her hand, her amethyst eyes blazing as she fixed her with a stare Evil-Lyn could not have looked away from even had she been given the option. "- or destroy it."


	14. Ch 13

Thirteen 

Palace Phantos

Planet Phantos

7 June 2017

Rashir waited patiently for Captain Majourny and her party to appear in the hotel lobby. There was still plenty of time until their scheduled audience with Queen Elmora. He didn't have to wait long. Captain Majourny stepped out of a turbolift with her bodyguards in tow. All looked refreshed and very alert. More alert then usual, which had Rashir wondering. He thought it best not to ask. Instead, Rashir inquired about their time in the city while he ushered them into the waiting aircar. The responses were not what he usually received after guests of the queen toured the lively trade areas.

The mood in the enclosed aircar was subdued until they left the residential ring and entered the kilometers-wide heart of the city where the enormous palace had been constructed. The palace itself took up very little land in proportion to the total area six kilometers in diameter. The design reminded Jo-jo of several European castles she once visited.

Ancient stone structures towered above them as the driver slowed a bit for them to take in the view. Pointed red roofs capped the towers and were all connected at various levels by metal walkways. From a distance it was impossible to see the modern devises such as communications antennas, satellite dishes, and even the odd weapons emplacements, but they were there. An architect, who had to have been a design genius, cleverly concealed the antennas, dishes, and the majority of the defenses in plain sight.

A small airfield took up the remaining area for VTOL – vertical take-off and landing – craft, a small forest complete with a pound Rashir assured them was stocked with many types of fish, and a spectacular garden that had no rivals. Even if one took all such gardens on Earth and combined them into one massive design it would _still_ pale in comparison.

There was plenty of security on the grounds, but the only obvious signs were the elaborately dressed guards at the main gates into the palace. Their dress uniform reminded Hohiro of his visit three years ago to the Tower of London in England. These men must be the Queen's Guard, which meant they were the best soldiers in Queen Elmora's army.

The guards passed them through without too much fuss, though they looked the strangers over carefully without looking like they were doing so. The driver stopped in only courtyard the palace contained. It could easily accommodate the _Eternia_ and her four dropships with plenty of room to spare. At the moment there was light traffic in the form of pedestrians going about their jobs in the palace.

"Not to many visitors today," Jo-jo said as she climbed out into the sunshine.

"Actually, the queen's schedule is pretty full for the afternoon. I'm afraid you won't have very much time to talk with her," Rashir replied, glancing at his wrist chronometer.

He led them through towering double doors into the main complex. Hohiro guessed that the doors where nothing more than molded pieces or armor plate made to look inconspicuous like everything else. They entered a long hallway with a high vaulted ceiling. Skylights were spaced at regular intervals for allow sunlight in during the day. Light globes were more closely space along the walls for illumination at night, though they suspected the amount of lights were not enough. The floor was simple polished stone one initially mistook to be marble. Tapestries and oil painting adorned the walls, each equipped with their own soft lights for illumination at night. Jo-jo did not recognize any of the people or landscapes save one beautifully rendered painting of Castle Grayskull.

A stab of pain lanced through Jo-jo's heart when she saw the painting. It reminded her of part of Colonel Markson's mission to Planet Eternia. She wondered briefly how the colonel's mission was going. Unfortunately, they did not yet possess the technology to communicate over such long distances. Gabe's team was working on the problem, but so far they couldn't get a real-time signal out any further than across a solar system.

Jo-jo broke out of her musing as the party reached the other end of the long hallway. Instead of going through an identical set of elaborately carved doors, Rashir turned left to a smaller set of doors. This, Rashir explained, was the smaller throne room the queen used to receive people she considered of importance, but wanted to keep the meetings more private. The larger doors led to the grant throne room where the afternoon's activities would take place.

A pair of guards stepped from niches set on either side of the doors. Their ceremonial armor was highly polished silver that glinted where rays of sunlight were caught. Jo-jo suspected their armor was capable of stopping most laser and ballistic weapons. Both men were six feet of muscle with a glint of intelligence in their cold eyes, and they appraised Jo-jo's group for possible threats.

The mountain on the left quietly asked the party to relinquish their weapons before being allowed into the presence of their queen. He promised to return the side arms upon leaving. Jo-jo nodded minutely to Hohiro, who deftly slid the pistol on his right hip from it holster to the guard's outstretched hand in the blink of an eye. The only reaction he got was a slight speck of surprise in the guard's eyes. The pair quickly can to the conclusion that the small oriental man was the most dangerous of the group.

Hohiro unclipped the samurai sword hanging at the left hip he'd brought along as an afterthought before leaving the ship, and the hotel. The guard held up both hands to accept the weapon, but Hohiro refused to release the sword. He locked stares with the man and spoke softly, "The sword has been handed down in my family for over ten generations. It's as much ceremonial as it is practical. It is never drawn from its scabbard except when the intent is to use it. Once drawn, it cannot be returned without first tasting blood. Do you understand? This weapon is razor-sharp."

The guard nodded once, and Hohiro reluctantly release his hold.

Rashir led the way as the guards opened both doors for the party, and closed them silently behind them. The lighting in here was about the same as in the hallway. Jo-jo noticed the mosaic painting on the ceiling and marveled at the intricate designs. Few paintings hung on the gold painted walls. Beautiful tapestries dominated the décor here. At the far end under rays of sunshine from the skylights sat the ruler of Phantos upon a throne as elaborate as any Jo-jo had seen on Earth.

The queen of Phantos wore a simple blue dress with a matching red cape. The cape was pinned in front at the collar bones with a piece of red fabric connected with simple bronze shield clasps giving the illusion the top of the cape wrapped all the way around. Closer inspection revealed strips of red fabric wrapping loosely under the arms. What appeared to be a darker blue girdle with a darker patch stretching from waist down to the hem in front was actually just lighter and darker material sewn together. The same symbol adorning the shoulder clasps was repeated at the pelvis: a brown oval surrounded by two small triangles at the top and one elongated one stretching nearly ten inches down from the oval. Golden armbands gripped the forearms nearly to the elbows where the loose sleeves were tucked in. Sapphire shards four inches long pierced the ears, and a gold, batwing-like crown was held in place on Elmora's forehead with gold bands wrapping around her head. A thick mane of red-orange hair fell past the shoulders and framed a thin, but beautiful face. Despite her age, which was not possible to accurately judge, Elmora still boasted a slim, pleasing hourglass figure men would kill for just to be close to.

Rashir introduced Jo-jo's party to the queen.

Jo-jo bowed the ruler of Phantos. "Thank you for allowing us this time to speak to you, Your Majesty. We won't impose on your time too long."

"Your visit is hardly an imposition, captain," Queen Elmora replied. He voice was gentle and sweet, and hid the sterner side Captain Majourny knew lay just beneath the surface.

"Have you reviewed the message from General Hammond?"

Queen Elmora nodded gravely. "I have. I understand your interest in making allies; however, I do not see any advantage to me or my people in such an alliance. Your starship is formidable, though less advanced than anything we possess. It is certainly outclassed but Horde technology. Technology aside, I have reviewed what my intelligence people have provided about your planet. Your people have been fighting one another for over a thousand years. Your United States sees fit to stick its nose in many places trying to bring about peace. Sometimes it should have minded its own business. And now here you are blundering about the galaxy in the same way." Elmora sighed quietly and shook her head. "No. I don't see what an alliance with you will do for me."

The queen's explanation hit Jo-jo like a hammer blow to the stomach. "I'm sure there must be something we can offer."

Elmora raised a delicate eyebrow. "What? Your resourcefulness is not uncommon in the galaxy. That may give you a decided edge against the Horde given your technical inferiority. But how long can that last before Horde Prime dispatches his entire fleet to turn Earth into a glowing cinder orbiting your sun? You offer hope? This armor you've recovered is formidable. In time it can be duplicated despite the obvious advantages it gives you. And what of He-Man and She-Ra? Do you plan to rescue them? Do you know where they are? Are they even still alive?"

Queen Elmora rose from her throne and walked down the dais steps. "The galaxy is tired of war. The Horde is everywhere in the known regions. One planet can not stand against the Horde Empire for long. You risk much in seeking out allies for your war. The risk is too great to upset the balance I have reached here. No doubt you have seen Horde troops patrolling the streets. They keep the peace and stay out of the way to allow the commerce and trade to continue. My people have worked too hard to see it all undone in a futile gesture."

"Futile?" Hohiro sputtered, trying to remain calm. "We may be a bit backward for your liking, but we also have the Sorceress of Grayskull. She has been quite a help."

Elmora nodded. "Yes. My spies on Eternia report she and someone called Cobretti were captured by Hiss' Snake Men. The Sorceress was bitten by Hiss and left to die a slow and painful death on display in the Palace Eternia's throne room. In fact, the latest report I just received indicates she is dead."

"No!" Hohiro nearly shouted as his companions bristled with shock. He turned to Captain Majourny. "I don't believe it. I _refuse_ to believe it."

"Did your spies see a body?" Jo-jo politely asked the queen.

Elmora was caught off guard by the question. "Excuse me?"

"Did you spies see a body?" Jo-jo repeated. "If they did not see the Sorceress' lifeless body, then I'm afraid I have to agree with Captain Takamora in refusing to believe this information."

"It hardly matters. No one bitten by King Hiss has ever survived. Without the Sorceress, you have that much less to offer. I'm sorry, captain. I can't risk my people and planet. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Please have a safe journey home." Elmora turned gracefully about and walked back to the throne.

The meeting was clearly at an end, so Jo-jo made no pretense to prolong it. She turned away and strode briskly for the doors. Rashir and the others had to run to catch up. Jo-jo shoved the right door open catching the guards outside off guard. She paused long enough for her people to collect their weapons before starting the long walk back down the wide corridor.

"Please don't judged her too harshly, captain," Rashir replied, out of breath from trying to keep pace.

Jo-jo stopped abruptly. "I can't believe there is no one left who isn't willing to take up the fight, Rashir. The intelligence we stole from the Horde indicates you people are building a secret army."

"Horde fantasy. If Queen Elmora was building such an army, why not use it? I'm sorry we can't help you or your people." Rashir took Jo-jo's elbow and began leading her toward the far entrance. He leaned close to continue in a quiet tone. "Although the Horde doesn't interfere with the normal business of the spaceport, she is monitored almost constantly. Only her private chambers are not bugged. We couldn't very well hold the audience there or else the local commander would have known something was up." He shushed Jo-jo's obvious question and handed her a data chip. "You should have no trouble accessing this. Do not do so until you are safely on board your ship and underway. The Horde commander has been ordered not to hinder you, though the queen feels he will disregard the order and try to take you and your ship, anyway. Do what you can to avoid a firefight in the city and get out as quickly as possible. I know you have many questions, but the answers you seek are on that chip."

The party stepped from the cool shade of the corridor into the warm sunshine. An aircar awaited them, this one with an open passenger compartment. Rashir bid them farewell and walked back into the palace. Jo-jo gestured for her companions to climb into the aircar. Once settled in, the driver engaged the engine and sped off through the scenic avenue leading out.

"Well, that was a big waste of time," Hohiro sighed. "Sorry about my outburst, captain. I just can't believe the Sorceress is really gone."  
"No apologies, Hohiro. We all feel the same. We'll find out the truth once we get back there," Jo-jo replied, soothingly. "I don't think this was as much a waste of time as you think." She clutched the data chip tightly. Jo-jo badly wanted to know what was on it, but heeded Rashir's advice to wait until they were safely away from the planet. She tucked the chip into a pocket and pulled out her communicator. "Ace, wake up."

"We're here, captain. That was quick. How did it go?"

"Nevermind. Get some troops into the bay and watch for trouble. We're on our way."

There was a brief pause, and then Ace asked, "You expecting trouble?"

Jo-jo considered her answer, saying, "There is a Horde garrison on this planet. The local commander may try something stupid to avenge the force we destroyed recovering the armor. Get the ship ready to lift at a moment's notice. If they make a try for you, lift off. We'll meet up as soon as we can. Otherwise stay put and we'll come to you."

Ace acknowledged and closed the link while Hohiro told the driver to take them back to the landing bay as quickly as he could instead of to the hotel. Now it was a race against time.

Shannon sat back on her haunches with a satisfied sigh. "That's it."

Leroy Harris watched the woman work, but had no clue as to what she had done or how. "Will it work? Can they find it?"

Shannon replaced the cover panel for the power couplings she just finished sabotaging. "Nope. Not without a detailed scan, anyway. They'll get three maybe four bursts out of the quad guns before the couplings burn out."

"What about the other weapons systems?" Harris asked, hoping his companion had further success.

Shannon shook her head sending matted locks of brown hair trembling. "No good. Those couplings are in areas where someone is always around. It takes a good forty-five minutes to rig a coupling to fail as it is."

"Nevermind," Harris replied, waving her off. "This along with our other rigged failures will have to do."

Both whirled, tensing up suddenly at the sounds of running footfalls. A breathless Thomas Anderson heaved around the bend in the corridor, saw Leroy and Shannon, and slowed his pace to a walk.

"Why don't you just make an announcement over the intercom?" Leroy growled. "Did you get to the hyper drive?"

Thomas shook his head, gulping air. "Too heavily guarded. Chief engineer wasn't taking chances in case we have to get back to Eternia fast."

"Doesn't matter. We've done enough damage to cripple this ship when the time comes. I'm not dying on whim for Captain Majourny."

Shannon looked as though she wanted to say something, thought better of it. Instead, she followed Harris and Thomas to their secret gathering point to plot further sabotage.

They were waiting only a few miles from the docking bay where the _Eternia_ rested. There was no warning. A single bolt of red energy lanced out and struck the driver square in the chest, killing him instantly. Everyone ducked instinctively as more laser bolts spiked into the pavement around their out-of-control aircar. Hohiro climbed over the seat, shoved the body aside, and slid behind the controls. He scanned the controls briefly, grabbed the wheel, and brought the vehicle under control.

"You sure you can drive this thing?" Jo-jo called from behind the seat.

"Nothing like a little on the job training," Hohiro grimly called back.

More laser fire tracked their fleeing vehicle. Now Hohiro could see where it was coming from as an assault transport roared from a side street on heavy duty anti-grav lifters. Twin outrigger gunnery stations set back from the open pilot's compartment blazed away with double-barreled laser cannons.

Hohiro disengaged the autopilot, and began weaving back and forth to confuse the robots shooting at them. Traffic, pedestrian and otherwise, scattered almost instantly when the first shots rang out. Unfortunately, there were still many obstacles to veer around in an effort to escape. Those obstacles, mobile vendor stalls and vehicles, did not pose much of a threat to military-grade anti-grav lifters and thrusters. Thick armor plates batted obstacles aside like toys as the robot drivers plowed ahead after the fleeing Earthers.

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Jo-jo demanded as laser bolts lanced dangerously close overhead.

"No, but you get great mileage," Hohiro replied. He divided his attention between the road ahead and the map display showing the route to the hanger bay where the _Eternia_ was berthed.

The passengers were thrown sharply to the right as Hohiro jerked the control handles suddenly hard left. Jo-jo's rebuke died stillborn on her lips as she caught a fleeting glimpse of the two assault transports waiting just a quarter mile from the hangar bay. She knew then they were never going to make it to the safety of her ship as the Horde pushed them back toward the heart of the city.

Soldiers detailed to guard the boarding ramp scanned their drab surroundings with a wary eye. Each man and woman held their rifles at the ready in the event trouble reared its ugly head. They had not been on station for more than hour when the call came over their tactical net to expect trouble at any moment.

No sooner had the call arrived than a dozen shocktroopers stormed the main entrance.

"Stop that ship!" the squad leader shouted. "Blast them!"

Red laser bolts lanced across the gulf separating the robot troopers and their target. The human defenders were quick to respond with storms of armor-piercing, explosive rounds. Geysers exploded from packed earth in and around the robots as they spread out to catch the humans in a crossfire. Three shocktroopers blew apart as the Colonel Markson's soldiers found the range.

Lieutenant Denton issued the recall once Ace had the engine fired up and the ship was ready to fly. Eight armored soldiers walked backward up the boarding ramp amid a hail of laser fire while returning angry volleys of their own. Miraculously, no one took more than a glancing blow from a near miss as the ramp raised and locked into position.

Of the dozen troopers who stormed the bay only seven remained standing. Those were promptly blown from their feet as retro-thrusters fired launching the starship _Eternia_ skyward. Once clear of the bay, Ace engaged the main drives and roared off in a wide arc to the southeast.

"Captain, we had to evacuate the bay. What's your location? We'll come get you," Ace replied after Harley opened a comm channel to their absent captain.

"We're being herded back into the city," Jo-jo responded after a brief pause. Blasts from heavy lasers could be heard in the background. "Our driver is dead, and we have no idea of exactly where we are."

"Keep transmitting, captain," Harley said, tapping commands into his weapons console. "We've almost got you pinpointed."

Lieutenant Santana snapped her gaze up sharply from her console. "Picking up multiple launches." She scanned her instruments for several moments before elaborating. "Fighter launches. I make it about a dozen craft inbound."

"Captain – " Harley began.

"I heard," Captain Majourny cut him off. "Get away from the city. Do not engage those fighters anywhere near the city."

"We're almost on you," Lieutenant Denton persisted. "We can pick you up and then take care of the fighters."

Lieutenant Santana shook her head. "The fighters will reach us before we can get to the captain," she replied tightly.

Jo-jo heard that. "That's it. Lead those fighters away. We'll try to get out of the city and join up with you later."

Harley was torn with indecision. "But captain…"

"No 'buts,' lieutenant," Jo-jo said sternly. "You have your orders. Now carry them out." The connection closed before anyone could protest further.

There was nothing left for them to do but obey. The Horde fighters were nearly within effective weapons range. As the gun crews dashed to their stations, Ace rolled the ship over to starboard, and slammed the engine throttles wide open. Palace Phantos and its surrounding city fell away as the _Eternia_ sped away to the south

Ramos and Sanchez manned the quad guns, opened the dorsal and ventral ports, and powered up. By the time their checks were complete, all boards read systems ready, and the first four Horde fighters were within range. Now that the ship was safely away from the palace, Harley released the weapons crews to fire at will. Ramos and Sanchez released volleys almost before the words were out of Lieutenant Denton's mouth.

The leading pair of fighters broke formation and split away from each other. The quad bursts passed harmlessly between them. The trailing pair opened fire on the _Eternia_ rocking the ship as their laser fire racked its shields. The view outside the gun ports whirled and jerked as Ace tried to evade the enemy volleys.

Ramos and Sanchez ignored the view as best they could and concentrated on their targeting scopes. Ramos squeezed off several more bursts at the attacking fighters. Suddenly the amber warning lights for the power indicators lit up. The energy charge rapidly dwindled away to nothing.

"Hey! My guns are dead," Ramos exclaimed into his headset mike.

"What are you talking about?" Sanchez shouted back. "Maybe it's just a glitch. Try switching to the backup system."

"I did that! My power is gone," Ramos replied. Another burst of enemy fire raked the shields near his position. He reported his situation to the bridge before Lieutenant Denton could demand what was happening.

"Hey!" Sanchez shouted. "My guns just died, too!"

More problems cropped up as the _Eternia_ tried desperately to escape the dogged pursuit. More laser bolts rained down on the fleeing starship as it searched for some safe haven.

Nova Santana scanned the terrain intensely for a bolt hole big enough for Ace to dive into. Grassy plains gave way to rugged, rocky plateaus, and finally the southern mountain range that formed the dividing line between southern continent and the Arctic Circle. Nova pointed out a deep canyon running east to west through the mountain range. Ace altered course straight for it before Nova could elaborate on the contours.

Ace didn't care. In fact, once he saw the winding, twisting course, his lips twisted into a gleeful grin. Horde fighters were extremely maneuverable, but they were still machine piloted by machines. Robots had no individual initiative, especially Horde robots. This became readily apparent as only four fighters pursued the _Eternia_ into the canyon. The rest called off the chase figuring even the ship's human pilots were no match for that treacherous course.

Ace proved he was worth every bit of his reputation as a pilot – in spades. Initially, the pursuing fighters kept pace with the juking, ducking, diving, and snap twisting and turning. However, they ceased firing futilely and gradually fell behind as the robot pilots grew cautious. That proved to be their undoing. Harley managed to somehow pull the shields in until they almost literally touched the hull contours. This gave Ace as much maneuvering room as possible. The hull bounced of the rocky walls many times, but the energy field took the brunt of the punishment.

The last fighter in line didn't quite hit a sharp left turn just right, grazed the left wall with a wingtip, and spun nose first into the unforgiving rock wall where it erupted in a spectacular fireball. Another fighter bought the farm when the pilots dived too late to get under a natural rock bridge spanning a narrow part of the canyon only seventy-three meters wide. There was just enough room for level flight, but the sloping sides forced the fighter high where it bounced off the underside of the bridge. Alarms wailed in the cockpit as the impact threw the crippled fighter downward. The wings clipped the walls, sheared off instantly with ear-piercing screeches of tearing metal. The main fuselage sailed downward out of control to the bottom where another fireball and oily black cloud mushroomed out of the canyon.

Another narrow section loomed ahead, and Ace boldly roared toward it at maximum speed. At the last possible instant, he snapped the starship up on its port side and actually managed to squeak through the fifty meter gap without bouncing off the walls. The maneuver was no problem in the vacuum of space where there was no 'up' or 'down,' but here on a planet with a near Earth-normal gravity well, the ship's gravity plates were sorely tested. Fortunately, they were through to the mile-wide section in a mater of heartbeats.

The remaining pursuers reacted too late to try the same trick and plowed into the gap in horizontal flight. Everyone on the bridge was too occupied with getting their nerves and stomachs back under control from the wild ride to appreciate the beauty of the massive fireball in their wake.

"Ace, warn us the next time you do that, okay," Harley replied weakly.

Ensign Comorov looked at Ace with a newfound respect. "I never knew you could do that."

"Neither did I," Ace replied, somewhat shaken himself. "Never know until you try." He smiled gamely in an attempt to sooth those around him.

Nova studied her instruments intently looking for a suitable place to hide the ship to make repairs. Ace cruised at a sedate pace while the scans continued. After almost ten minutes of boring flight broken only by the occasional course correction for craggy rock formations jutting up in their path, Nova finally located what appeared to be an overhang large enough to hide a ship the size of the _Eternia_.

Nova's find turned out to be better than expected. The chamber Ace eased the starship into proved to be big enough to safely hide three Eternia-class ships. The high iron content in the surrounding cliffs guaranteed roving Horde patrols would not spot them. The down side was their own sensors were also affected. Ace put the ship down well back from the opening with barely a jar. All but the backup systems and environmental controls were shut down to prevent any chance of an energy signature giving them away.

"All right. Let's go see how badly we've been hurt," Harley declared after shutting down his weapons console. He and a grim Ace McCloud left an ominous silence behind on the bridge.

To say Queen Elmora was furious when the first reports of laser fire in the city came in was an understatement. Elmora was in fact livid. She knew the Horde would break the non-aggression treaty sooner or later. The treaty forbade the local commander from interfering with any visitors to the trade center built up around the palace even if said visitors were labeled as enemies of the Horde Empire. Like, say, the Guardian Force and the Starship _Eternia_.

Minutes after issuing orders for the Royal Guard to track down Commander Xandran and bring him before the queen, said commander was escorted into the same audience hall where Elmora met Captain Majourny. The green-skinned humanoid looked visibly upset over being dragged away from his hunt for the _Eternia_ and her crew. When the guards halted before their queen, Xandran yanked his arms from his escort's grasp.

Adopting an air of superior arrogance, the Horde commander snapped, "What's the meaning of this? I was in the middle of something important."

Dropping her eyes from the large display floating in the air fifteen feet above the floor, Queen Elmora arched an elegant eyebrow. "Like violating orders to leave the Starship _Eternia_ alone?" A wave of her hand caused the screen to dematerialize.

Xandran's façade slipped just a bit. "How did you know what my orders were?"

The admission was better than Elmora could have hoped since her intelligence service couldn't break the High Command's encryption. "Until now, I didn't. But it wasn't hard to guess what the order was being that it arrived shortly after the _Eternia_ did."

To his credit, while not the brightest among the Horde's commanders, this one recovered quickly. "You have no authority to interfere with Horde operations."  
"And per our treaty, _you_ have no authority to assail any visitor to the city. All visitors are under Phantos protection until they leave this planet, commander. You have not only violated this, but I have now been informed that the aircar driver has been killed. Your assault carriers have wounded at lest seventeen more firing at Captain Majourny's party." Elmora's cold stare caused the Horde servant to shiver involuntarily. Elmora cut him off before he could offer up some lame excuse. "You will cease operations within the city immediately. All Horde forces will stand down and prepare to depart this planet."

"You can't do that!" Xandran sputtered angrily. "You have no authority."

"One dead, and at least seventeen wounded gives me all the authority I need," Elmora returned evenly. The deathly chill in her voice had turned colder. "Remove him!"

As the guards literally dragged the protesting humanoid from the audience chamber, the queen pressed a touch pad on the left arm of the throne. "Get me General Rongar at once." She sat back, arms folded and legs crossed, waiting for the screen to materialize with the general's face on it.

General Rongar was in fact reclining in Sagan's workshop reviewing the latest test data from the recovered battle suit when the bridge called. Rongar straightened in the chair and swiveled to face the monitor. "Yes?"

Captain Dragnar, _Hoscar_'s captain, appeared on screen. "General, I have a priority communication coming in from the planet Phantos. Queen Elmora."

"Thank you, captain. Put it through to this station." In moments the grim visage of Queen Elmora seated on her throne appeared. Rongar noted she looked most displeased. "Queen Elmora, such an unexpected pleasure."

"Stuff your pleasure, General Rongar. Commander Xandran has violated our treaty and opened fire within the city. One civilian is dead, and at least seventeen have been wounded."

Rongar dropped the data pad he'd been reading on the table. He kept his shock carefully concealed lest he give the queen more ammunition. _That fool, Xandran,_ the general seethed angrily. _I should have known he wouldn't leave the _Eternia_ alone._ Aloud, he said, "You have my deepest sympathies."

"Horde sympathies are meaningless to me. Per the treaty, I demand your garrison be removed from Phantos at once." Elmora leveled her best icy stare at the general.

"It will take time to get there to stand down the garrison," General Rongar pointed out.

"I don't need to be a genius to know you ordered Xandran to leave the _Eternia_ and her crew alone. I gave him two hours to comply with my demand that he cease operations."

"May I ask about Captain Majourny and her crew?" Rongar asked politely.

"Her group is hiding from Xandran somewhere in the city. The _Eternia_ already left its docking bay and flew off to the south followed by a wing of fighters," Queen Elmora answered. There was no reason for her to lie. She knew the general could verify anything she said with the garrison.

"Most likely she will try to escape the city and rendezvous with her ship," Rongar mused idly. "If Majourny attempts to escape, will you hinder her?"

The queen's silence was an answer in and of itself, but, she replied, "My first duty is to my people and to the visitors to this city."

_And you have no reason to stop Captain Majourny because she's undoubtedly trying to get out avoiding further casualties at the hands of Xandran's blundering,_ Rongar thought. "I can order him to stop pursuing Captain Majourny, but I doubt he will listen. Once outside the city, however, he has full authority."

Queen Elmora had made good on several threats in the past, so the one she was about to issue would be taken seriously. "I will not have further battle inside outside the city. If Commander Xandran does not stop, my forces will stop him. If you do not remove the garrison, general, I will send it back to you in pieces. Very _small_ pieces starting with Xandran."

The screen blanked before Rongar could protest. "What a fool."

"Queen Elmora?" Sagan asked from behind a pile of machinery.

"Xandran. Elmora's no fool. She will make good her threat to take the garrison apart a piece at a time."

"Isn't that an act of war?"

"Technically, Xandran already committed said act," Rongar answered. He touched a switch to buzz the battleship's bridge.

Captain Dragnar immediately appeared on the screen. "Yes, general?"

"Captain, change course for the planet Phantos. Maximum speed. We have to save the garrison commander from himself."

"At once, General," Dragnar responded. The screen blanked as the man carried out his orders.

The huge battleship swung about ponderously for a ship its size, as the robot manning the helm pointed the armored bow toward the distant Planet Phantos. The warship began to accelerate as the hyper drive engaged. A nimbus cloud formed thousands of kilometers ahead of the ship. When the portal into hyperspace fully formed, _Hoscar_ turned into a blur of light as it shot into the portal at incredible speed.

"Do you think they made it?" Private Corwitz asked, glancing back at the tower city gates rapidly receding behind their speeding aircar.

"If they didn't we would have heard by now," Captain Majourny replied.

Dodging Horde patrols out searching for them had been the difficult part. Getting away from the lumbering assault carriers hadn't been an issue since there were many alleys to dive down where the carriers couldn't go because of their bulk. The real surprise came when they finally found the south gates. Hohiro approached cautiously until one of the armored guards signaled for him to slow to a halt. There was a brief polite exchange, and then the gates were opened to allow them to exit the city.

Long before beginning their search for a city exit, they left the body of their driver where it would be quickly found and taken away. Jo-jo felt bad about that, still did now that they were safely out of the city. It couldn't be helped, and she hoped the man would receive some kind of dignified service.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Hohiro asked, breaking into Jo-jo's musing.

"About?"

"Getting out."

"Oh, there's no doubt Queen Elmora had something to do with that. I just hope she can forgive me for leaving the driver in the market like that. He deserved better."

"He surely didn't deserve to be shot," Hohiro added grimly. "Leaving him in one of the shot-up sections we backtracked to will help. I wouldn't worry about it," Hohiro replied. "She could have kept us from leaving, if she wanted. Since we went out of our way to avoid crowds to minimize casualties I would guess that told the queen what kind of people we are."

Jo-jo nodded agreement. Something about this still bothered her, though. She fingered the data chip Rashir had given her. Once again she hoped it contained at least a few answers. Officially, the queen would offer no help or hope of an alliance. _UN_-officially, Elmora at least gave the appearance of wanting them to get away from a Horde commander bent of capturing or killing them. Maybe the reason for Elmora's help had to do with the garrison commander violating a treaty, or explicit orders regarding their visit to Phantos?

Hohiro plunged into the plush forest seventeen kilometers southwest of the city, and kept going. He weaved in and out of thick pockets of towering trunks, changed direction a few times before finally coming to a halt roughly three kilometers in. The canopy overhead was so thick little sunlight made it to the ground. This gave the illusion that the outside world was close to dusk.

They took stock of their situation, and the result was not a good one. No supplies. No weapons other than Hohiro's sword and their side arms. No way to contact the _Eternia_ because their comlinks were short-range. And no idea where the ship was in relation to their position.

"Well?" Jo-jo asked, hands on hips.

"In a word: grim," Hohiro replied. "What we need the most is water." On a whim, he activated the Phantos equivalent of a global positioning system built into the aircar's control console. "Hmm. Looks like the maps in this thing are more complete than I thought."

"What have you got?"

"Looks like a stream a couple kilometers west. I don't think this aircar will bet in there, though," Hohiro said, turning a critical eye to the dense foliage ahead of them.

"Then we walk. We could all use the exercise," Jo-jo declared.

Hohiro climbed out of the aircar, pulled out his samurai sword. Jo-jo inquired about that, to which Hohiro said they might come across something they down bring down for a meal. A samurai sword wasn't supposed to be used for hunting, but considering their situation, he kept it at hand as a very last resort if laser pistons were not enough.

The privates were grumbling amongst themselves about the injustice of the entire trip to Phantos. Hohiro cut them off, saying, "You're in the Guardian Force, now. It's not just a job, it's an adventure."

Private Bertress said, "That used to be the Navy slogan, didn't it?"

"Yeah," Private Hermes added. "Now they're trying to 'accelerate their lives.' "

"Still?" Private Corwitz chimed in.

That evoked a round of chuckles which eased the tension. The group spread out tree the trees in search of a stream, and hopefully, something to serve up for dinner.

Ace and Harley looked over what almost became a very tragic scene. The men manning the quad guns had long since been taken to sickbay where their survival was in doubt. An engineering crew busied themselves with replacing two damaged power couplings while several more people repaired damaged gravity plates and conduit covers.

Apparently, crewman Ramos and Sanchez climbed out of the gun wells when quad guns lost power. They went about troubleshooting the problem in the hopes that it was a simple repair to get them working again. They pulled off the access panel for the power conduits servicing both guns and found an overload in progress. They just managed to replace the panel when

"I thought a coupling overload would do more damage," Ace remarked, trying to stay out of the way as best he could.

"They do," Harley answered. "If it was a power surge from laser hits from those fighters, there should have been more damage."

"You don't sound convinced," Ace stated for the record.

"I'm not. I have a pretty good idea what and who did this, but the captain put you in charge. It's your call, Ace," Harley said, putting the helmsman on the spot.

Ace didn't have to think long to draw the same conclusion. "But I need evidence. Without that, we're handicapped."

"I'll get it," Harley promised. "And it won't be manufactured, so you can relax about that."

Ace knew the chief engineer would have a team working on the cause of the malfunction. He just hoped it was due to the fighter attack rather than sabotage. If it was sabotage, and the gunners both died from their injuries, Ace knew it would be near to impossible to keep the saboteurs from being blown out the nearest airlock.

With a resigned sigh, Ace headed off to the conference room to start composing his report for the captain to review once they got her safely back on board.


	15. Ch 14

Fourteen

Castle Grayskull

Graylands, Eternia

8 June 2017

Teela'Na watched her sleeping self while fighting off another wave of déjà vu. This time it wasn't as bad as watching Dannon depart for whatever lay beyond the veil of this life, though the ache of that departure would take a long time to come to terms with. She thought back to a few hours ago when she had awakened from a near coma-like sleep.

Teela'Na clawed her way back to consciousness to discover she was safe and sound in her private chambers in Castle Grayskull. She thought the dreams of Dannon finally leaving, people from another world, and living on that alien world called Earth, were all a long nightmare from which she'd finally awakened. The euphoria did not last but for a moment when the man in combat armor entered her chambers. Not recognizing Lieutenant Garber, Teela'Na panicked. That's when she discovered she had been tightly wrapped in fur blankets to prevent her thrashing about. The man exited quickly and called for someone. To her astonishment, Kodec Ungor entered a minute later at a near run despite the dress she wore.

It took Kodec almost ten minutes to calm Teela'Na down and explain that her memories were repressed due to the trauma of the past several days. Kodec promised everything would be fine after another restful sleep. Still unsure, Teela'Na allowed Kodec to put her to sleep, not that she had much of a choice wrapped up as she was. A short time after that, Teela'Na found herself corporeal once more, only this time she had a female companion.

The woman sat in the arched window looking out at the landscape. Teela'Na noted she was about her height, wore her straight black hair down past the shoulder blades, and was clad in a clinging outfit of soft, brown leather. "It's different than I remember," the mystery woman said idly. She turned and saw Teela'Na's puzzled expression. "The landscape. It's different now than it was in my time."

The woman slid from the window with barely a whisper and moved to stand before Teela'Na. Teela'Na stood stoically and endured the silent appraisal while conducting one of her own.

"You have no idea who I am, do you?"

Teela'Na shook her head, noticing for the first time she did not wear the headdress of the Sorceress of Grayskull. "Should I?"

The woman sighed. "You should at least have a clue. You _do_ have several already." Teela'Na still looked perplexed. "Think back to what Gabe said."

"Gabe said a lot of things. Why can't you just tell me who or what you are?"

"That would be too easy, I'm not allowed, and you are now half right."

A flash of insight hit Teela'Na at that moment. It was a conversation with Gabe about the armor. The details remained fuzzy, however.

"Use your insight. Your conversation was about intelligence, which you seem to be lacking at the moment," the mystery woman chastised. "All the pieces are there. Put the puzzle together."

Teela'Na thought hard, shooting the woman an angry sneer. _We talked about the armor and the level of intelligence they seemed to have. Wait; was it possible they are _more _intelligent than he first thought? _Teela'Na whirled to face her companion.

"Uh, oh," the woman said patiently. "She's got that light in her eyes. Or is it a false alarm?"

"I do know you. There was a record from around a thousand years ago of a woman coming to Eternia from a world far away. She took up the mantle of guardianship of this castle for several hundred years before it passed to another." Teela'Na thought a moment before continuing. "All the guardians save Veena were endowed with immortality. But there was one of instance where such an honor was denied at personal request."

"And her name was?"

"Cira," Teela'Na responded.

"Well, her full name was Cirandar, but her close friends were allowed to call her Cira."

"_You_ are Cira?"

"Well, to be honest, I am a reflection of her. An echo of what once was Cira," Cirandar replied, looking a bit uncomfortable.

The final piece clicked into place in Teela'Na's mind. "You are the armor reflected in human form. The form of your previous owner."

Cira threw her eyes to the ceiling. "Finally, she gets it. Yes. I was Cira when her memory engrams were impressed on my circuits. I have evolved into much more than that. We all have. I wouldn't say she really owned or used me, it was supposed to be a kind of symbiosis when the project first started. Then Horde Prime came. We didn't get much beyond putting the armor into storage after the memory engrams impression. We did engage in a few battles, but it didn't matter much in the end."

"Why did Cirandar decline immortality? She would be a great help to us now."

"I don't know. I have no memories beyond her selection to become the new Sorceress of Grayskull at that time."

Teela'Na's mind whirled. So much information to take in at once, almost too much. She had so many questions she wanted to ask, and yet, Teela'Na felt she already knew most of the answers. Then it dawned on her. The transfer of information, knowledge, and experience that took place when they recovered the armor several months ago prepared the inheritors of the Guardian legacy as much as was possible a thousand years ago.

Cira interrupted Teela'Na's contemplation. "You need to rest. I will be here when you wake up. We can talk more then."

Teela'Na didn't want to, but she knew Cira was right. She also knew she had to get up to speed on her armor's operation, now that she was completely healed. It wouldn't be too much longer before King Hiss decided to make an attempt at capturing Grayskull now that it was unsealed.

Snake Mountain

Dark Side of Eternia

Colonel Markson made himself a royal pain in the butt to Skeletor. His demands for transport back to Castle Grayskull were ignored at every turn. Evacuation of the slaves to a refugee camp in some other part of the continent continued with load after load of people leaving the vast underground chamber on the same vehicles that brought them here. It got to the point where Skeletor, idly stroking Panthor's purple-furred head, contemplated having the troublesome Colonel Markson and his companions locked away in the dungeon until he could figure out what to do with them.

King Randor wasn't much more help in the area of transport. While he and Skeletor had an uneasy alliance, it was Skeletor who controlled the small robot army. They only obeyed Randor when directed to do so. The deposed king did, however, keep his promise to talk about the fall of He-Man and his companions.

Colonel Markson, Sonja, Brad, and Jeromy joined King Randor and his wife, Marlena, in a cramped office set up for the meeting. A small window allowed one to see the scarred landscape, which really wasn't an attractive sight. The lava flows cast its eerie red-orange glow across the ceiling while several pale yellow lights struggled fleetingly to dispel the darkness. Randor gestured for the colonel and companions to enter, and then he and his wife followed.

Jon noticed that while Marlena was dressed in a fresh green dress and gold belt, she still looked haggard and worn despite having eaten a hot meal and slept in a soft bed. The fire in her eyes, however, spoke of the determination lying just below the surface.

When all were settled, Randor began his tale. "Seven years ago, a starship from the future arrived from a planet called Primus. The crew desperately needed help against an enemy simply called 'Mutants.' He-Man came before me and my wife to reveal his most closely guarded secret before announcing he was going to leave for the future to add the planet Primus." Colonel Markson raised an eyebrow, but Randor refused to elaborate on the secret. "He left on the starship they called the _Eternia_ and was never seen again. Peace had settled across this world at that time. We didn't know until a month or two later that Skeletor had followed He-Man into the future, and that the Sorceress of Grayskull had mysteriously vanished.

"It wasn't long after our disturbing discoveries that King Hiss also learned of He-Man's mission and the disappearances of the Sorceress and Skeletor. His minions freed King Hiss from the prison the cosmic guardian Zodak had exiled him to, and began a deadly campaign to conquer Eternia. Evil-Lyn assisted in freeing King Hiss in return for being spared the fate of those who resisted. The rest of Skeletor's followers quickly joined the Snake Men."

"Why would they join such a brutal and evil creature?" Sonja asked.

"It was either join his empire, or be literally consumed by it," Randor answered gravely. Sonja made a sick face, for she knew what he meant by being 'consumed.'

"What happened?" Colonel Markson asked gently.

"We were no match for the snake army. Duncan, our Man-at-Arms, and his daughter, Teela, led the Royal Guard in battle against the snake army. We won a few battles, but the end was inevitable. Their army was just too strong for us to deal with. Duncan was killed six months into the war, which ended barely a month later. By that time myself and what was left of the Royal Guard had been chased into the Dark Side of Eternia where we remain to this day. I lost Marlena in the chaos, and thought her dead until you brought her back to me yesterday. Teela brokered a peace agreement with King Hiss. In return for becoming his bride, the Snake Men would limit their raids on villages.

"Two years ago, Skeletor and He-Man returned from the future, however, there was no starship. I don't know how they got back or why they did not return to moments after they left. I think Skeletor knows, but refuses to say. I also think he knows why Teela had to browbeat He-Man into taking up the fight to drive Hiss and his army back into exile. He-Man was a broken person, possibly due to returning home five years after departing and seeing what had happened to us. Anyway, Teela succeeded in getting He-Man to take up his sword and fight once more. They and the army assembled from what remained of He-Man's friends, and those allied with his sister, She-Ra, they drove the Snake Men out of the Fertile Plains. However, as the final battle at Castle Grayskull ended, immense magical portals opened in the atmosphere above the castle. Out of these ports flew hundreds of Horde warships armed and ready for a fight."

"Catra's fleet," Brad put in solemnly.

Randor nodded. "What followed couldn't even laughingly be called a battle because it was so one-sided. Most were rounded up and imprisoned on board a Horde transport along with He-Man and She-Ra. Those who escaped capture went into hiding either here on Eternia, or back on Etheria."

"What happened to He-Man?" Jeromy asked, fearing the worst.

Randor shrugged his shoulders. "I know he and the others were taken away to a penal planet called Hel, but I can't say for certain if they are still alive. For all I know, they were executed immediately upon arrive there."

Colonel Markson leaned forward slightly. "Where is this 'Hell?' "

"No one knows. The location is Horde Prime's most closely guarded secret. Rumor had it King Hiss had the location stored in the palace computer core. We managed to break into it and copy a considerable portion of the database, but we couldn't decode it to be sure."

Jeromy exchanged knowing looks with Colonel Markson. "We may be able to help."

Randor was visibly surprised by that. The colonel explained, "We raided the computer core of a Horde battleship under the command of General Rongar. Our scientists have managed to create some kind of key to decode the Horde languages. It's all very technical, but I have been assured it works."

"Who _are_ you people?" Marlena demanded, speaking for the first time.

"We're the ones tasked with saving the galaxy," Brad replied. He tried to sound serious when he said that, but the words just did not come out right.

"Whether we like it or not," Colonel Markson added. "I have this really nasty feeling that king snake is going to make a try for the castle. We really need to get back there before that happens. Or would you prefer its power fall into enemy hands?"

Randor pondered the events carefully for a few minutes. Skeletor turned a blind eye to his runs to Palace Eternia to free slaves. Anything that kept Randor occupied and out of Skeletor's business was a plus, as far as Skeletor was concerned. As he pondered a course of action Skeletor would undoubtedly object strenuously over, Randor thought back to several months after He-Man's fall when a brown-haired woman dressed in a stunningly simple white silk dress came to him and told him the prophecy he now know hailed the coming of these warriors from a distant world called Guardians.

_The forces of Evil shall rise up and strike down the Heroes of Light. For a period darkest night shall all but eclipse the light. Then, from out of the darkness, there will arise six warriors who shall drive back the Darkness. They shall know triumph and tragedy, joy and sorrow. Their light will unite a galaxy and end the reign of Darkness once and for all. Six must fall, rising again like the __Phoenix__ to heights undreamt of._

_ And they shall be called, Guardians._

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Randor replied, "All I can promise is to see what I can do. I realize that does not mean much, but this situation puts me in an awkward position. I just want you to understand that." Colonel Markson nodded his understanding. "Then we should leave," the king continued. "Skeletor may take notice if we meet too many more times in secret like this."

They rose and left the room without further comment. Randor and his wife left to see if there was any way of getting Colonel Markson back to his companions without risking Skeletor's wrath. Colonel Markson, Sonya, Brad, and Jeromy returned to the lower caverns where the rest of Alpha platoon was assisting with the relocation efforts.

They had learned much this day, more so than they expected. A least a few more of the missing pieces had fallen into place, but a very large piece remained elusive.

The location of the penal planet the Horde called Hel.

As the group neared the gigantic underground cavern, a gentle, almost musical voice called out from a shadowed alcove. "You wish to return to Castle Grayskull? Perhaps I can be of assistance," Moria Vadorian replied, amethyst eyes sparkling in the dim light.

Quaedian Village

Prasinus Forest

Kragor stared at Adrian Cobretti as he paced back and forth in the rather confining hut in which his mortal shell lay. At around the same time the Sorceress was discovering the true nature of the mystical armor, Adrian was having an argument with the echo of the man who once commanded the nameless armor. Kragor was upset that Adrian had yet to decide on a suitable name, to which Adrian would say it would come at the opportune moment.

"Look, you figured out pretty quick who and what I really am. Quicker than the Sorceress, actually, but for all that you _still_ can't decide on a name?" The handsome features of the man once called Kragor twisted into a mask of displeasure.

Adrian stopped his pacing at the mention of the Sorceress. "She's alive? Restored?"

"Oops," Kragor muttered to himself. "I wasn't supposed to reveal that."

"Let me guess. Her armor told you not to," Adrian scoffed.

"Well, we are linked. That isn't the point right now." The phantom strode over to stand before Adrian. Kragor stood over six feet in height forcing Adrian to look up at him. "Forget the name thing right now. What really chaffs my butt is your reluctance to embrace the gifts you've been given."

Adrian looked flabbergasted. "Gifts? A suit of armor pissed at me because I won't name it right here and now; the ability to become whatever form I want by visualizing it in my mind; and skills and memories from a dead man flooding my head. You call those gifts?"

"Well, I admit it's all a bit overwhelming, but I can help you with that. _If_ you'll let me."

"I'm a monster. I change shape and people shy away from me as if I were a leper," Adrian snapped acidly. "I never asked for this. Why me?"

Kragor dismissed the obvious reply to that because it would only alienate the man more. Instead, he asked, "Do you believe in Fate?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life," Adrian answered, subdued.

"I know _exactly_ how you feel. I felt the same when I my abilities surfaced. Your abilities are the same as mine. I had a lot of trouble accepting what I could do, but there was one who helped me to see that it wasn't a curse," Kragor explained.

"Cirandar. Cira to her friends," Adrian replied automatically, though he had no idea how he knew that.

Kragor nodded, grinning. "Your subconscious is adapting to having all my memories and experiences rattling around in there. Yes, Cira helped me to see what an asset the ability to change my shape really is. The Sorceress can also change her shape and I got the impression she wanted to help, otherwise why would she and Takamora have talked you into those transforming sessions before leaving Earth?" The apparition stepped closer. "I can show you the door, but you must make the decision to open it and step through."

Adrian was wondering what that meant when a commotion outside the little hut. Kragor explained that several of Adrian's friends appeared to have finally caught to him. Unfortunately, Adrian could not stray far from his physical self in this state. He tried, but a cold numbness can over him every time. He would have no way of knowing who was coming until they entered the hut.

Anyssa, Jake, and Frost left the inn before dawn and continued their journey south west. They came upon the River of Prosperity shortly after noon. The trio paused to stare at the wall of trees several miles past the river looking for signs of life. All along the way they noticed the usual wildlife one would normally find was strangely absent. That was usual when intruders entered habitat areas, but this was different. Not only had the higher lifeforms of this world been subjugated by the ruthless Snake Men, but it seemed the wildlife had been as well.

It hardly mattered. It just meant there would be few obstacles toward reaching their goal other than the natural landscape. The point on the river where they stood was wide and the slow moving waters deep. They walked south for several miles looking for a safe point to cross, or a bridge someone built. Going north around where the river began was an option, but it would mean losing the rest of the day in the process. Somehow all three felt the need to urgency for no specific reason other than they needed to find Adrian, and get him and his armor back to Castle Grayskull.

Anyssa found the crossing she was looking for. Shallows several miles downstream were the best place they were to find. The river narrowed to some nine yards across with a depth of around three feet. The downside was the flow had picked up, but it wasn't so much that they could not cross. They would just have to be careful. And so they were. It only took a few minutes for each to cross one after the other. Once safely on the western bank, Anyssa set off straight for the tree line several miles away. Jake and Frost followed their guide without comment. She appeared to know the land without having to consult the map Kodec Ungor had provided.

Anyssa called a halt at the tree line to rest and get her bearings. Although she seemed confident in where they were headed, Anyssa looked slightly undecided as to what they should do next.

"Problem?" Jake asked, a slight sneer twisting up one side of his mouth. He and Anyssa bickered time and again along the journey about who was better; males or females.

Frost sighed, and shook his head. Jake was a good man to have around in a fight, but his social graces were sorely lacking.

Normally, Anyssa wouldn't back down from anything or anyone, but this time she ignored the man's tone. "The area has changed a little bit since I was last here. We aren't more than an hour or so from the village gates."

"What village? I don't see anything were a village could exist," Frost replied.

"The entire forest belongs to the Quadians, but there is only one way into it," Anyssa explained, continuing to look about.

"Well, we can't just walk up and knock on the door," Jake scoffed. "Hello, Eternia Pizza Delivery."

"Give it a rest, Jake!" Frost snapped irritably. "So if walking up to the gates isn't a bright thing, what do we do? If they have patrols out, how do we find one?"

Jake's bluster evaporated while Frost posed his questions to Anyssa. He was suddenly and uncharacteristically sober.

"Now what?" Frost growled.

"I don't think we'll have to go looking for them," Jake said quietly, pointing south.

The trio froze as catlike, bipedal beings literally materialized from the trees in pairs. They were led by a tall female cat dressed in a blue outfit that left her arms and legs unhindered. A white disk lay draped around her shoulders, chest, and back. Centered above the breast was a remarkably accurate brass carving of a cat face. Bands encircling the upper arm, forearm bands, belt buckle, and knee protectors were all adorned with cat visages. Fur-capped wrappings covered the forelegs while leaving the feet bare. A sheathed knife was strapped to the left thigh just below the short shirt, and an empty holster was strapped to the right. The contents of that holster were clutched in the feline's right hand. A mane of brick-red shoulder-length hair flowed from her head around pointed ears and down the back with two braids hanging down in front caught with gold rings near the ends. Golden brown soft, short fur covered the lean muscles of her body.

"Umm, we come in peace," Frost said nervously, moving with slow, exaggerated movements. He never realized how lame that line sounded until this moment.

"We come in search of a friend who may have been picked up by one of your patrols," Anyssa explained.

The female's right hand never wavered as she stepped forward. Anyssa met the female's stare while Jake and Frost eyed the laser pistol. The Quaedian warrior sized up the trio with long lingering stares taking in their wardrobe and obviously concealed weapons. More felines emerged from the forest behind the three humans as the female leader made her choice.

"A patrol did come across a human male near the edge of the Evergreen Forest," she purred quietly. "What makes you think he was brought here?"

Anyssa answered, "We came across witnesses in two villages who confirmed he was brought in this direction."

The warrior feline considered Anyssa's words for a moment. "A human was brought to our village by a scout who has a habit of bringing…items…back with him." Clearly, she didn't know whether or not to trust these humans. "I will take you to him, but you must relinquish your weapons first."

Anyssa did not hesitate, while Jake and Frost exchanged concerned looks before following her lead. The felines were surprised by the type and amount of weapons the humans were carrying. They distributed the equipment amongst themselves then spread out around their charges.

"Are we prisoners?" Anyssa asked guardedly.

"No," the female in charge replied. "There are other dangers out here besides Snake Men and Horde patrols." She turned and led the way south.

"Could we at least know your name? 'Hey you' seems a bit insulting," Frost demanded.

"My name is Kittrina."

"I've heard of you," Anyssa replied, a newfound respect reflected in her eyes.

"And I know of you, Anyssa of the Val-kyrie. I am surprised to see you in the company of males," Kittrina said.

"They freed me from the dungeons with the help of the one whom we seek," Anyssa explained. A warning look to Jake and Frost said she would not discuss her origins at this time.

They walked in silence for more than an hour heading south along the forest's edge. Nature resumed its daily routine of survival of the fittest. No one could see the animals moving around among the trees, and by the sounds of a few of them, Jake was glad they were in there and he was outside. One in particular sounded big, nasty, and not something he'd want to meet anywhere day or night.

It wasn't long before the towering walls and gates constructed from felled trees came into view. No one saw the structures until they were practically on top of it. While impressive to behold, Frost was amazed they could not spot it from further away. The reason for this was simple. The entire assembly had been built ten meters back from the forest edge. That way no one could see the wall and gates unless approaching it straight on from the southeast.

Sentries spaced along the top of the twenty-foot wall recognized Kittrina and one shouted down to open the gates. The was a grinding of something massive being drawn back, and metallic _clank_, and one massive door was pulled inward on well-oiled hinges. Despite the obvious notion that the doors weighed several tons a piece, they swung easily because of the counter-balance construction. As the group filled through under the watchful eye of the armed sentries above, Frost took a moment to note the doors and walls were five feet and nearly ten feet thick respectively. Made of solid tree trunks, it would take some serious firepower to penetrate them.

Kittrina spoke briefly with a passing soldier, and then gestured for Frost, Anyssa, and Jake to follow. Their entourage dispersed as they walked through the village. An open area hundreds of square feet in diameter made a prime place for gathering to repel potential invaders. Sturdy single story structures were strewn along the tree line of the gigantic clearing one square mile in size. Male and female Quaedians of every shape and size went about their business. Blacksmiths were hard at work pounding out pieces of iron for weapons, tools, or whatever else was needed in the village. Merchants readied carts to take to nearby markets. Children ran among the buildings playing whatever games kids played on this planet. They regarded the strange humans with open curiosity while the adults were wary, even hostile.

Their guide led them to a small, out of the way shack toward the back of the encampment. It looked as nondescript as the rest of the buildings. No markings separated it from the other buildings as to its purpose, yet Kittrina knew exactly where to go. The feline woman grasped the iron handle, depressed the latch release with her thumb, and pushed the door inward. Iron hinges squeaked as the door swung open. Two small oil lamps with their wicks turned low cast pale yellow globes of light. One lamp hung on the wall to their left while the other sat on a small wooden table beside a single bed.

Despite the gloom, Frost could make out the features of the man lying under the layers of blankets. He, Anyssa, and Jake rushed past Kittrina to the bed to see check the man's condition. He stirred as Frost felt along the neck for a pulse.

Adrian Cobretti moaned as he struggled toward consciousness. When he finally opened his eyes, his gaze settled on the first person he saw. "Oh, God!" he croaked. "I've died and gone to Hell."

Snorting in spite of himself, Frost asked, "Why is that?"

"Because God would never allow someone like Jake Rockwell through the Pearly Gates," Adrian answered sourly.

"Yep. He's getting better," Jake confirmed with a mock angry expression.

"No offense," Anyssa said guardedly, "but you should be dead."

"Yes, I should," Adrian agreed.

"So why aren't you? Not that I'm tired of your company," Jake added quickly.

"It's…complicated. I'll tell you later."

"He is indeed lucky to be alive," a gruff voice said from the open door. There stood another Quaedian about five feet in height with course brown fur, wearing plates of armor that had seen many battles, a dented helmet, and had a double-bladed battleaxe slung across his broad back. "Let's let the man rest while we talk further somewhere else," the squat warrior suggested.

Kittrina did not look happy about it judging by the agitated twitching of her tail, but didn't object to her companion taking charge of the visitors. She went off saying she would see if the king was available to meet with their guests.

Adrian waved weakly as his friends filed out.

"My name is Dhalon," he introduced himself, shaking each person's hand in turn. "My patrol heard the battle at Palace Eternia two nights ago. We followed the sounds until we were in sight of the castle where we settled down to wait. When you friend fly out of the left eye, we trailed him as best we could. Our intent was to make contact with these most remarkable humans. Assaulting the dominion of King Hiss and escaping to tell about it is no easy feat.

"We found him collapsed near the remains of Roboto. What an amazing thing that suit of armor is! We couldn't carry him because it was too heavy. As if it heard us, the suit shrank itself down to a more manageable size. It vanished entirely except for that glowing medallion once we got him here."

They were following a well-traveled trail lined with oil lamps hanging from wooden hooks driven into the tree trunks. There was no space between the trail and the trees. Wildlife went about its business as darkness settled across the lands. A cool wind blew out of the night straight down the dirt path.

"Our healers looked him over," Dhalon continued after a short pause. "They didn't give him much hope of survival. We have seen the effects of the Horde mind sifter in the past. They knew exactly what was happening. Early this morning they discovered he not only survived another night, but was close to waking up." Dhalon shook his head. "He has a strong will to live, that friend of yours."

"Yeah, he's proving to be a survivor like the rest of us," Frost agreed.

"This is an incredible village," Anyssa replied, changing the subject.

"Is this all there is?" Jake added.

Dhalon laughed heartily. "No, there are villages throughout the entire forest. We own this forest. The dense packing of the trees makes a natural barrier from our enemies. Those gates you entered through are the only way into the network of trails and roads which link all the villages."

"Good defense, but that can make this forest a deathtrap should the Snake Men or the Horde decide your people need to be eliminated," Frost pointed out.

"Indeed," Dhalon agreed. "However, my people are fierce fighters. They will find the victory extremely costly."

They continued on along the trail to the nearest village. This one was a purely residential area with a wide street running through it. Adults and children regarded the group curiously for a few moments before returning to their activities. They were on their way back to the building where Adrian was recovering when a tall feline warrior rushed up to them.

The male gulped down a few breaths before he could proclaim, "King Carnivus has agreed to meet Kittrina's guests."

Palace Eternia

Commander Franik despised the creature on the screen with all the fiber of his being. There were some things in this galaxy that shouldn't be allowed to exist. Or continue to exist. King Hiss and his hordes of Snake Men were two of those things. There were worst places to be stationed, he supposed; Etheria orbit at the beck and call of Hordak, or on station within half a day's travel of the penal planet Hel. Anything would be better at this point than having to bow to this freak of nature.

King Hiss stared back from the throne room of Palace Eternia. His thoughts ran much the same way toward the Horde was this commander's did toward him, though neither could know that. "I don't care about your problems, commander. I want every available piece of equipment and trooper transported to the surface for an assault on Castle Grayskull."

"I may have to take your orders, King Hiss, but I will not throw Horde resources away on a whim," Commander Franik replied in a cool, measured tone. "Nor will I allow you to tell me how to deploy my forces. This isn't something you just throw together spur of the moment. If you want a coordinated attack on Castle Grayskull, I need time to get the troops and equipment together, loaded, and transported to the surface. Ideally, that will take two days. I've lost two destroyers to these humans, and I'm waiting for replacements to arrive."

"How soon until your replacements arrive?" King Hiss asked irritably. He wanted to attack the castle now before these impudent humans could be allowed another day or two to fortify their position.

"Should be here by local morning," Franik answered. "I just received a message from the ships to that effect."

"Very well. Begin your preparations. I assume the coming ships can start before they get here?"

"Yes," the commander replied, thinking, _I knew you'd want that information._ "They should be ready to deploy as soon as they reach orbit."

"I do not want these vermin in possession of Castle Grayskull any longer than necessary. You will deploy in one day, whatever it takes. Castle Grayskull will be mine, or you will use your firepower to wipe it from the face of Eternia," King Hiss proclaimed. "Is that clear?"

"Very clear."

Evil-Lyn turned away from the screen as it dissolved into nothingness. She, Beast Man, Tri Klops, Trapjaw, and Clawful were tasked with assembling the robot army already in place in the palace. A small detachment had already been dispatched to the Prasinus Forest at the behest of Blade, who was tracking that irritating thorn of a Quaedian called Kittrina. Mer-man and Twobad were sent to assist Blade, despite his argument that he did not need help to capture one female Quaedian.

Evil-Lyn saw her chance to slip away as General Rattlor and Snake Face were prowling the corridors snapping at any Snake Man in site to prepare arms for the coming assault on Castle Grayskull. Quite effortlessly, she managed to get lost in the shuffle and slipped out of the palace, where she opened a time/space portal to another part of Eternia. She would not be missed for several hours. Time enough to have a chat with someone close to her.

Chambers of the Monarchy

Sands of Time Desert

Colonel Markson was naturally suspicious of people offering to help in this strange alien land. Especially when the help was offered by people he had never heard of until a moment before.

"Oh?" the colonel said cautiously. "And why are you so willing to help when others in this place don't care, or can't?"

The pale woman stepped into the dim light of the corridor. "Let's just say I am an 'acquaintance' of the Sorceress, and I have my own reasons for seeing to it that Castle Grayskull does not fall into the hands of the Snake Men."

"Are you saying that king snake intends to attack the castle soon?"

The tiniest smirk fell over the Ancient woman's features. "I didn't say anything. One doesn't have to be a genius to realize with the castle now unsealed, King Hiss cannot afford to let anyone other than himself have access to the secrets and power contained within," Moria explained at length.

"That would be bad," Colonel Markson stated.

"Yes," Moria agreed. "I therefore have a proposition for you. Gather your people and I shall take you to a place from which you can attack King Hiss when he least expects it."

The colonel thought about the offer. It appeared simple and straightforward on the surface. He supposed he could talk to the Sorceress about this woman at a later time. For now, his instincts said to trust Moria, for the moment, so Jon keyed his mike. Within minutes, Sergeant Apone had the entire platoon assembled in a side chamber off the gigantic underground cave.

Making sure no one would come by at the wrong moment, Colonel Markson turned to the Ancient pale woman offering to take them to their intended destination. "So what now?"

In response, Moria cast a rueful smile, and extended her hand, thumb and two fingers raised. A shimmering portal, like the ones Jon had seen the Sorceress make when demonstrating her magical power, formed at the back wall. "I will go first. There are defenses I must deactivate before you may enter." Without waiting for a response, Moria stepped through the portal into whatever lay on the other side.

Minutes passed slowly by as the platoon waited for Moria to return. Jon grew annoyed as the ten-minute mark came and went. He knew one could stick their head through the portal to see what lie on the other side and pull back without losing anything. The only danger lay in the portal suddenly dissolving while one was actively passing through it. Such an event was always fatal.

Just as Colonel Markson was working up the courage to stick his head through, Moria reappeared. "It is now safe for you to enter," she said, and returned through the oval portal.

Jon looked around his nervous group, and knew he had to take first step. He never believed in the concept of leading by example because there was no real definition for it. Taking a calming breath, Colonel Markson led the way into the unknown.

They emerged one by one into the Chambers of the Monarchy deep under the Sands of Time. Moria awaited them near the end of a long stone corridor lined with busts of people long dead. Torches cast yellow pools of light near every bust, but it wasn't enough to dispel the gloom entirely.

"Home sweet home," Jon remarked idly. "Kinda dreary, isn't it?"

"I much prefer this to that cabin you have on some lake in the middle of nowhere," Moria replied. She smiled thinly as he showed his polite surprise. "You were just thinking about it," she stated simply.

"You're a mind-reader," Sonya stated flatly.

"I did not have to read his mind, Sonya Boradni. It was plain to see," Moria answered. "Or would you prefer it if I called you Guardian Hawk?"

"Okay, this is creepy," Brad said guardedly.

The white-haired woman turned towards them, her amethyst eyes whirling slightly as her gaze landed on Brad Johnson and Jeromy Ironwood. "Ah. Two more Guardians in my presence. Claw and Blitzkrieg, respectively. You should feel honored."

"Who are you?" Colonel Markson demanded. "Then we'll decide whether or not we're honored."

Moria turned towards him slowly, almost taken aback at the idea that there were people on this planet who did not know of her. "I am Lady Moria Vadorian, Fourteenth Monarch of the Dereskígía."'

"I've never heard of them… or you, for that matter," the Colonel stated, "How do we know we can trust you?"

"You don't," the Ancient woman replied shortly. "But you agreed to follow me, and it is now too late to turn back."

"…Guess we'll have to take your word for it. The Sorceress will confirm it when I see her," Jon replied, fingering the closest statue.

"I would advise that you do not touch anything. There are still dangers in these chambers that I have not bothered to deactivate." Moria warned evenly.

Jon made a show of removing his hand, saying, "At least the Sorceress has a sense of humor."

"Oh, I have quite a sense of humor, Colonel Markson. After all, you are still alive. No non-Dereskian who has ever entered these chambers has ever lived to tell about it. Other than the current Sorceress of Grayskull, you will be the first in the history of over seven thousand years that these chambers have been standing."

"I'm honored," a subdued Jon Markson said to Moria's retreating back.

"You should be," the Ancient woman said softly in reply, and then continued to lead the way.

After what seemed an unusually long time to Markson and his team, their guide opened the double doors to their momentary destination, and the group shuffled into a room that looks almost as though it should belong in Earth's Ancient Rome.

The chamber itself was gigantic, the marble floors stretching for at least fifty yards before it reached the back wall. Immense carved and engraved pillars filled the room, and it took Markson a moment to realize that they began with one vividly detailed pillar in the center and circled outward.

Sonya walked up to one and studied it closely, noticing with not a small amount of shock that a large hawk was engraved upon it. She looked at the top of the pillar, and her amazement grew. Just above the hawk, there was a claw. Beyond that, there was a lightning bolt engraving. Sonya stared at the pillar, looking at each symbol that progressed at the engravings went down. A wing, an arm, the hawk, the claw, the lightning bolt, and above that, a falcon. The six symbols of the guardian armor.

"I see you've discovered the purpose of this chamber," came a voice directly behind her. Sonya whirled around, coming face to face with Moria Vadorian.

"…What is this place?" the younger woman questioned uncertainly. "Why are the Guardian symbols on this pillar?"

Moria looked beyond her, inspecting the engraving of the falcon. "This is the Hall of History," she replied simply. "Every pillar in this room depicts images that pertain to a certain event in the history of the planet. These six…" she said, gesturing to the carvings Sonya had been studying, "show the Guardian armors, as you've just discovered."

"Can they tell us how the first Guardians used the armor?" Colonel Markson asked, stepping up behind the two women with Jeromy and Brad behind him.

The Ancient woman shook her head. "No. The pillars serve only as a record of the past. They do not go into detail."

Jeromy muttered beneath his breath, "Then why bother bringing us into this room if we can't learn anything from it?"

Moria's eyes flashed as she turned towards the young man. "I am _so_ sorry these chambers were not designed to suit your needs, Mister Ironwood," she uttered, threat entering her voice where her words indicated that apology should go. "The truth of the matter is: these are _my_ personal chambers," she continued, her eyes beginning to pinwheel faster as her ire grew. "There are very few rooms here that can fit a group the size of this one comfortably. This is one of them."

"I am sure that Jeromy didn't mean to offend you," Sonya said sensibly, her tone calming as she drew the Ancient woman's attention away from the smart-alecky operator of the Blitzkrieg armor. "Truly, we appreciate the fact that you have let us into your home and offered to help us."

The elder woman inhaled slowly, closing her eyes and exhaling even slower. She took a private moment, and then reopened her eyes. Markson and his team were relieved to see they were no longer pin wheeling. "Thank you," she said after a moment, and then looked at Jeromy. "Be glad that you have such a pragmatic member on your team as this one, young man. She just saved you from some extreme… discomfort." Lady Moria then turned her attention to Jon. "…You will excuse me, Colonel," she said with emotionless politeness. "I've not spent this much time around this many people in years."

Before Markson could question her actions or her words, the white-haired woman raised her hand and sunk down into the floor, vanishing before their eyes. "Do not leave this room," came her voice after she had gone, almost as an afterthought.

Not far from the conversing Guardians, Moria Vadorian sat alone in her bedchamber. She rested in an overstuffed armchair, her eyes closed and a hand at her temple. Her exit earlier had been nothing but a retreat, and she knew it. The multitude of people that had suddenly been thrust into her home had slowly stifled her. Every thought, every idea, every wisp of an unformed sentence that had lurked in their brains had leaked into hers. When she had been within Snake Mountain, it had not been quite so bad, because the walls of Skeletor's domain were designed to prevent such mind reading. Her own walls had no such hindrances in place. Indeed, the Chambers were specifically designed in such a way that almost no thought could escape being read, especially from Moria herself. Thus, when she had been confronted in verbal form as well, she had understandably been peeved. Her only defense had been to depart from the large group and set a barrier around herself. Now, alone in her bedchamber, she had peace enough to let her thoughts drift away, casting her consciousness outwards to find that of someone she cared for.

Evil-Lyn was not far from her now, of that Moria was sure. Her daughter's mind was guarded, as if there were something she wanted to keep hidden, at least for the moment. This interested Moria, but as it was not uncommon for her daughter to keep small bits of information from her, it did not her cause great concern. Lyn's location, however, did. She was getting closer.

With a slight gasp, Moria sat up, her eyes opening wide as her consciousness returned to her body with a jolt. Her daughter was on her way here.

She nearly jumped out of her chair before she caught herself, realizing that she _did_ have a short while before her daughter arrived. Even so, there was little time to waste. She would likely have to spend some time explaining things to Markson. With an exasperated sigh, the Dereskian Queen created a portal on the floor she stood upon, and then sunk into it.

"Where did our mysterious hostess go off to, anyway?" Jeromy idly complained, sitting down upon the marble floor as he waited impatiently.

"Well maybe if you hadn't offended her, she wouldn't have rushed off in such a hurry," Brad countered, sitting not far from the British smart-aleck.

Jeromy glared at the Sergeant. "How was I supposed to know she'd take offense so easily? All I did was ask a question…" he trailed off, trying to defend himself and not doing very well. "…I wonder if everyone in Eternia just comes and goes as they please…" he mused aloud.

"Only when they have vitally important, pressing matters to attend to, Mister Ironwood," came a familiar feminine voice from above them.

The members of the squadron looked upwards towards the sound of the voice, and Moria Vadorian dropped down nimbly from the ceiling, landing gracefully on her feet. Almost immediately, she turned toward Colonel Markson, who was rising from his own sitting position.

"There is a slight problem," the Ancient Woman stated flatly.

_ Home, at last,_ Evil-Lyn thought to herself, sliding through the portal she had created and appearing in her mother's bedchamber. Moria was not there. "Odd," the dark witch said aloud, looking in the adjacent chambers. "Mother is almost always here to meet me when I arrive." She decided to wait, knowing that as long as the Ancient Dereskian was anywhere within a few hundred miles, she would be able to sense her daughter's presence and would not be absent for long.

"So let me get this straight," Markson intoned, his arms crossed as he regarded the elder woman incredulously. "Your daughter, Evil-Lyn, who King Randor said is currently working with King Hiss, is on her way here, to this building, where myself and my entire squadron, not to mention half of the Guardian force itself, is just sitting here, waiting like sitting ducks!"

Moria paused for a second or two, and then answered simply and flatly, "Precisely."

Jon glared at her for a moment, and then realized that it had no effect upon the Ancient woman. "And you want us to wait here, like good little sheep ready to be slaughtered, while one of our enemies sits upstairs!" he growled, the last few words of his sentence growing loud.

"No," Moria stated, her tone calm but her face showing the first signs of irritation. "I want you to stay here, like good little 'sheep,' out of sight and hearing and wait for me to find out what it is she wants. More likely than not, she will have information as to King Hiss' plans, which she will tell me. My daughter will then leave, and I will come back here and tell you what, if anything, I have learned," she clarified.

Colonel Markson still looked uncertain. "And how do we know that you won't just tell her that we're all here and she'll call the Snake men to come and get us?"

"Several reasons," Moria bit back, her eyes beginning to pinwheel as she regarded the Colonel. "Firstly, because having the Snake Men invade _my personal quarters_ would inconvenience me as much as it would you. Secondly, I have already mentioned the fact that having the Snake Men succeed in this war would not please me in any way, shape, or form. And thirdly, if I were going to turn you in, do you not think I would have done it by now?"

She was answered by an unsure look from the Colonel, but Markson slowly conceded to himself that she did have a point. "Point," he said after a moment. "What should we do?"

"Stay here. Do not touch anything, and do _not_ leave the room."

Jon nodded affirmatively and moved to inform the rest of his squadron. The Ancient Queen held up her hand, making him pause.

"And Colonel?" Moria added in a hushed but strong tone. "Do try to and keep that mouth of yours shut. If my daughter finds you here, it would not be …advantageous… for either of us."

Markson was quiet for the briefest of moments as he considered that alternative. Stifling an involuntary urge to pop off with some smartass remark, he nodded again. "Whatever you say."

Evil-Lyn was getting slightly peeved. She was certain that her mother knew of her arrival, but Moria's continued absence was becoming irritating. The Ancient Dereskian was almost always nearby. Just when Lyn was about to cross the line of annoyed to angry, she recognized the familiar glow of a portal appearing in the floor. Through it, weary and looking rather tired, came Moria.

Upon seeing her daughter, she smiled softly. "Hello, dear."

"Mother," Lyn nodded back, allowing herself a rare genuine smile as her anger slowly dissipated.

"I have missed you, _Moritënia_," the Ancient Queen said gently, embracing her daughter and lightly caressing her cheek.

The former dark mistress of Snake Mountain momentarily rested her head on her mother's shoulder for a moment, before quickly pulling away, as if showing such emotion was a weakness and she feared someone might see. "I've missed you too, Mother," she admitted. "And I wish I could say that I came only to see you, but–"

"I understand, Lyn," Moria interrupted, smiling softly at her daughter. "It is too dangerous for you to leave King Hiss' sight for trivial matters. What has happened?"

While what Moria had said was true enough, her daughter was leery of simply spitting out the reason for her visit. She had not forgotten Moria's role in reviving the Sorceress, and while she was sure that her mother had her reasons, Lyn still felt a little personally betrayed. Instead of revealing Hiss' plan directly, she elected a more subtle plan. "Do you recall my plan involving the shaping staff? Or Skeletor's plan to summon Shagora to do his bidding? Or his use of the Dragon Pearl?"

Moria nodded. "You had a good plan going with the shaping staff until you gave it to that bone-faced fool, who let He-Man snap it in half like a twig. I left you as a frog for a week to remind you of the consequences of your plots. Shagora would have destroyed us all, as would Evil Seed, if you all had not joined forces with He-Man. The use of the Dragon Pearl was not a bad plan, though you continue to underestimate He-Man and his friends," she explained in a tired tone. "And let's not forget Skeletor's failed attempt to move Castle Grayskull into another dimension. Even there, he could not hold on to it."

"Well, yes, but most of the plans were sound…"

All of this recollecting was slowly getting on the elder woman's nerves. She could not forget that Markson and his men were just a few levels down, waiting impatiently for her to return. And all of this idle chatter with her daughter was eating up time. "Dear," Moria intoned slowly, interrupting her child in mid sentence. "While reminiscing with you is always nice, would you kindly inform me of the relevance of this?"

"I was just trying to help you recall the more vivid times when our combined power worked wonders over any odds," Lyn replied, a little angry at being interrupted.

"My memory is impeccable as ever, _Moritënia_. So let us skip the remainder of this story, shall we? What did you really come here to discuss?"

Moria's daughter crossed her arms in front of her chest and regarded her mother a bit callously. She sighed after a moment, and turned away from her mother's gaze. "King Hiss plans to invade Grayskull within the next twenty-four hours."

"So soon," Moria intoned mostly to herself, a little surprised. She reached out for her daughter's chin, bringing her daughter's eyes up to meet her own. "Tell me everything."

Grinning wickedly, Evil-lyn launched into the plan. It was very simple, really. A force of Snake Men with Horde ground support would assault the castle. They would occupy the human defenders while King Hiss used his formidable power to bring down the jawbridge and take possession of the castle. If the Sorceress had somehow been revived - which Evil-lyn did not confirm for him, much to Moria's surprise – then he would neutralize her and take the power of Grayskull for himself. If he was routed, an event he scoffed at the mere mention of, then the heavier Horde weapons brought down from the orbiting warships would converge on the castle and blow it from the face of Eternia. If King Hiss could not have it, no one would.

Lyn crossed her arms as she finished the report. "So that is the plan, Mother. The only question now is what you will do with it." The latter part of her statement was not so much a fact as it was a demand. She raised her brows at the elder Dereskian, pointedly awaiting her mother's answer.

It was not as readily forthcoming as Lyn would have hoped. "That is not your concern." Moria replied quietly, casting her eyes downwards before once again raising them to meet her daughter's. "But whatever I do, the outcome is one that will do nothing if not benefit you."

The younger woman felt her lips curl back in a small snarl. "Then why is it that every time I turn around you seem to be helping our enemies!" Lyn exclaimed rather loudly, her eyes growing wide in her sudden anger.

Moria looked at her with surprise in her eyes. She had not anticipated her daughter's sudden anger. "They are _not_ my enemies," she intoned in her defense, her voice passionate but not enough so to be classified as 'loud.' "They are King Hiss' enemies, yes; and since you are currently in his employ, I suppose that would make them yours as well. But that does _not_ make them mine."

Evil-Lyn's reply was almost instantaneous, her anger building faster and faster with each passing second. "Then I suppose you now consider _me_ your enemy, Mother!"

"Of course not," the elder woman replied, sighing in a mixture of exasperation and sadness. "You know that I do anything and everything in my power to help you, Lyn," she continued softly, reaching out to put her hand on her daughter's shoulder and visibly stung when Lyn turned away.

A still silence fell over mother and child, then, and Moria wondered how their relationship had suddenly become so strained.

After a moment, the younger Dereskian finally spoke. "If you truly want to help me, Mother, then stop aiding those who would defend Grayskull's power and use your influence to help me get it."

Moria Vadorian swallowed slowly, closing her eyes and lowering her head in defeat. "I cannot do that, Lyn."

Her daughter nodded, as if she had anticipated that answer. But the expectation did not mean she was any less angry about it. Still facing away from her mother, Lyn snarled. "As I thought: you are willing to help our enemies, even willing to risk your health to bring the Sorceress of Grayskull back to life, but you won't help your own daughter," she found it difficult to say the next word, but managed to do so despite her hesitation. "Traitor."

A deep growl suddenly came from deep within the elder woman's throat. Her patience had been thin to begin with, but the use of _that_ word rather than any other finally pushed the Dereskian Queen over the edge of her control. "I will _not_ be called _that_ by my own daughter!" Moria exclaimed, harsher than she meant to be but having little power over the force in her force.

Without losing a beat, Evil-Lyn whirled on her, as if she had been deliberately provoking her mother. "Then you expect me to just sit back and let you betray me!" she practically screamed, her eyes flashing wildly.

Moria faltered, taken aback by the sheer malevolence in her daughter's tone. "I have your best intentions at heart, _Moritënia_. I always have." Slowly, the battle over her emotions was decided, and the unreadable expression once more fell across her face.

"I'm sure," Lyn spat back, bile rising in her throat as she glared daggers at the elder woman. As Lyn turned to go, angry and betrayed, she could not help giving her mother a glance over her shoulder. "I sometimes wonder whose side you're even on, _Mother_." The last word came out harsher than she probably meant it, but the sting, to Moria, was real.

Had Moria not been hiding behind her sangfroid, her face would have revealed the feelings of anguish that were now passing through her mind at Lyn's mistrust. "I do what I can to make the future what I want it to be. What _you_ want it to be. I am on _your_ side, Lyn. Always. " Before the echoes of her reply had faded, her child was gone, and the Ancient woman sighed raggedly. A feeling of great emptiness overcame her, as if a great piece of her heart and her_Self_ had left with her only child.

Castle Grayskull

The Sorceress awoke from her long nap feeling more alive than she could ever remember being. She kicked aside the blankets, swung her feet over the side of the bed, and sprang onto nimble feet. The cold stone floor went unnoticed as she paraded around in the pink nightgown she could not remember dressing in. The jubilation over having been completely healed waned after looking in the full-length mirror standing against the wall opposite an elaborately carved armchair. The Sorceress stared in shock at the image reflected back at her. The headdress that was part of the costume of the Guardian of Castle Grayskull was gone, replaced by her natural mane of strikingly red, shoulder-length hair. A stabbing pain like a knife to the heart gripped her chest, but only for an instant. She knew immediately that in order to regain her status as the castle's guardian, Teela'Na would have to go back into the Pool of Power.

She changed into the reignments of the guardian of the castle and was pulling on her boots when there came a soft rap on the door to the Sorceress' private chambers. Lieutenant Garber entered at her bidding. His eyes lit at seeing her up, around, and most importantly, alert.

"Well, you look better than you did yesterday. I must say you had me scared," Garber admitted candidly.

Sorceress smiled softly. "I'm feeling much better now. I can never repay you for all you have done for me. Losing a man in exchange for my freedom from King Hiss…"

Garber raised a hand to forestall the coming apology. "Don't apologize. We all knew the risks. Drake would be comforted to know you are healed; that he didn't die in vane."

Sorceress nodded, finished pulling on the right boot, and rose from the armchair.

Puzzled, the lieutenant asked, "No headdress?"

"I must return to the Pool of Power. In order to heal me, the castle was required to strip me of my magic and immortality. To regain both, I must return briefly to it," she explained.

"Oh," he replied, not really comprehending. "So this is your natural look?"

Sorceress nodded. "I was dressed differently and was much younger when I first came here."

"Well, I suppose I should get out of your way, then," Garber said, smiling. "I have a sneaking suspicion we are going to need your abilities in the next few days. And you need to catch up on what has been happening while you've been…away."

Her last memory before the assorted dreams of seeing her husband depart this world, and the chat with the strange female who was some kind of spectral image only she could see, was of Adrian Cobretti clutching her tightly in his arms. Did he know she had been healed? She reasoned something must have happened to him otherwise he would have been among the first to see her alive and well.

As the pair walked down the stairs toward the main chamber Garber explained what had been going on while she healed. Adrian's running off came as a shock, but not a totally unexpected one. She knew something of the effects of a Horde mind sifter. The Sorceress also knew that with the help of his armor Adrian could find the will to survive and heal himself. She was relieved to know Frost, Jake, and their new companion, Anyssa, were out looking for him.

Colonel Markson's group along with the remaining three Guardians had still not been heard from. Their communications equipment was limited. Despite using relays between the castle as their home base and the dropships ranging out across the planet, they still had no idea of the colonel's whereabouts or status. If he was dead or captured by King Hiss, they would have known by now.

They only thing they knew for certain was someone was keeping an eye on the castle. That someone was likely King Hiss. Snake Men had been spotted repeatedly just beyond the tree line watching the activity in and around Castle Grayskull. Several people volunteered to go root out and neutralize the scouts, but Garber vetoed the idea. Instead, he used the observers to his best advantage by allowing them to report only what the lieutenant wanted them to see.

At last, the pair arrived at the spot where the Sorceress had disappeared and later re-appeared. Lieutenant Garber could not hide his concern as the Sorceress looked for the proper stone block.

"Do not worry, lieutenant. I won't be gone long," she assured him.

A small crowd had begun to gather as word spread that the Sorceress was up and around. The Sorceress stepped upon a stone block indistinguishable from those around it. For a moment nothing happened, then the block slowly rose about twelve inches, then dropped just as slowly and smoothly into the pool below. Wisps of steam drifted up out of the opening followed by the flare of blindingly bright light. The scream of a large bird blasted from the opening an instant ahead of a mass of white energy that flew out of the pit. The mass rapidly solidified into the familiar shape of a red falcon with a blue beak, red, white, and blue striped tail feathers, red and blue wing feathers, and black orbs for eyes reflecting the intelligence no normal falcon possessed.

Zoar the Falcon squawked, flapped her wings to maintain her position around the average person's head height, then wheeled, and soared off around the impossibly large chamber. She looped around the globe and through large openings in stone support structures truly enjoying herself. After several minutes of putting on an acrobatic display no real falcon could ever be taught to perform, Zoar flew back tot eh stairway leading up to the stone throne where visitors would often find the Sorceress, and transformed back to her human form.

Both the headdress and the magic had been returned to her. The castle had not forsaken the Sorceress as she had first feared, and she was relieved beyond the ability to express vocally.

"Amazing," Garber replied, awed by what he had just witnessed. "Almost as amazing as this castle." He gestured to the globe, the skyline behind it, and the light coming from hidden sources. "Is that real or works of magic?"

"Both," the Sorceress replied. She and the lieutenant walked across the chamber to stand next to the staircase up to the eastern tower. The crowd dispersed as she explained the mechanics of what they were looking at. "You have undoubtedly noticed this castle is far larger inside that it is outside."

"That had not escaped my attention," Garber acknowledged.

"Well, think of it like this," the Sorceress said, hold both hands palms up. A black box materialized in each hand. The one in the left hand was about one quarter larger than the box in her right hand. "Which one is bigger?"

Frowning, the lieutenant pointed to the woman's left hand. "That one."

"All right." She walked over to the staircase and placed the larger box on the flattened spiral end of the handrail, and walked back or to the lieutenant. She held up the smaller box and asked, "Now which one is bigger."

Garber's frown deepened as he tried to wrap his brain around where this was going. "That one," he said, pointing to the box resting on the handrail.

"But it looks smaller."

"That's because it's further away."

"Right. Now if you could have a box that size and distance away, but have it here with this smaller one, the large box would now fit inside the smaller one," the Sorceress explained at length.

Garber exclaimed, "That's crazy!"

"That's trans-dimension mechanics; a key Elder discovery shortly after the Counsel of Elders was formed," she chastised mildly.

Before they could argue the point further, they were interrupted by a buzzing from his headset mike. Evidently, a couple of explorers ventured into parts of the castle Garber proclaimed off-limits. Two soldiers accidentally discovered one of several entrances to the heart of the castle were the true power of the Elders was stored. The explorers had been taken by surprise when the stone gargoyle-like face came alive and asked them if they sought the castle's secrets.

Lieutenant Garber excused himself and strode purposely toward the stairway back around the corner from the elevated throne where the many time/space portals were located. Sorceress smiled slightly listening to the lieutenant's threats to have her create a Navy yardarm for the express purpose of hanging the interlopers from it.

She cast her thoughts toward the immediate future, trying to discern whether or not Grayskull was in urgent danger. Before she could delve too far, however, she became aware of something else. The presence of a certain person began to fill her mind, and she silently groaned. She had been expecting this visit, for she knew that was what it was, but it was not one she had been looking forward to.

Knowing she had a few minutes before her 'guest' was due to arrive, the Sorceress drew her thoughts back to herself at a somewhat leisurely pace. She begged her leave of the Lieutenant and made her way upstairs, knowing that when the 'visitor' arrived, she would do so in her personal chambers. Still inwardly dreading this encounter but knowing that there was nothing she could do to stop it, the Sorceress made her way back into her room. Once there, Teela'Na sat down in her chair to wait. She took a private moment for herself, just relaxing her body as she waited. Dying always took so much out of someone.

After several long moments had passed, she looked towards the mirror in her room, idly fixing a few stray feathers on her headdress as she waited the final few moments for her 'guest.'

"Are you expecting someone, dear?" came the all-too familiar voice from behind her, and the Sorceress did not have to glance at the woman's reflection in the mirror to know who it was. Even so, she turned around, hiding her minimal surprise at the silent arrival.

She frowned slightly as Moria Vadorian smirked softly back at her, the elder woman's head quirked a little to the side as she stood against the back wall. "No one of importance," the Sorceress replied glumly. "Only you."

Moria put a hand on her chest, looking at the redhead theatrically. "Oh, you were primping for me. I didn't know you cared."

"I don't," the Sorceress nearly snarled, not even bothering to get out of her chair as she glared at the other woman. "What are you doing here, Moria?"

"What?" the elder woman questioned, feigning innocence. "I cannot just stop by to see how you are feeling?" Before the Sorceress could answer, the elder woman continued, genuinely. "How _are_ you feeling, _te__ lynïa_?"

Teela'Na crossed her arms in front of her, suspicious. "Since when do you honestly care how I'm doing?"

The elder woman smiled softly at her, replying quietly. "Believe it or not, dear, your continued existence _does_ matter to me."

"I'm sure it does," the Sorceress muttered sarcastically, knowing and not caring that Moria could hear it. "For some entirely self-serving reason." She groaned quietly, closing her eyes and then reopening them. "What do you want?"

The white-haired woman countered amusedly, "I have to want something, too?" She slowly took a few steps forward, caressing the Sorceress' cheek with the tips of her fingers. "What makes you so sure that I was not simply genuinely concerned for your well-being?"

"Because you _always_ want something," the Sorceress stated flatly, batting the hand away and rising out of her chair.

"Ah. Well, I cannot argue you there, dear," Moria returned, smiling softly as she returned her hand to her side, leaning the other arm against the back of the chair Teela'Na had been sitting in. "In this case, however, what I 'want' correlates with your own wishes."

The Sorceress crossed her arms over her chest and muttered out of the corner of her mouth, "I doubt it."

Moria raised one eyebrow as she regarded the other woman. "Oh," she stated simply. "Well then, it appears I've been wasting your time. Do forgive me, dear." She turned, as if she were about to go. "I simply thought you might appreciate warning of King Hiss' imminent attack on this castle."

Teela'Na's eyes opened wider and she stared at the elder woman's retreating back, exclaiming, "What! When!"

With her patented smirk, the Ancient Queen turned back. "Within the next twenty-four hours. Do I hold your attention now?"

"Yes," came the immediate response, though Teela'Na disliked having to say it.

"Good. King Hiss has ordered that every fighter and piece of equipment that can be spared will descend upon Grayskull within the next day."

The Sorceress sat back into her chair, taking in the words of the elder woman with suspicion. "What makes you think this?"

"I saw it in my pool, and my daughter just confirmed it to me," came the reply.

Teela'Na barked out a short laugh. "And which of those is supposed to make me believe you? I have no reason at all to trust you."

Moria's eyes lowered, and she nodded slowly. "You're right. You do not." Gradually, her gaze rose, locking eyes with the other woman. "But I have very rarely ever lied to you, _Te lynïa_. And you _did_ think he was going to attack."

"That isn't exactly guesswork, Moria. He has coveted the power in this castle for centuries," the Sorceress replied, turning away from the elder woman.

"And perhaps you knew, too, that he has given the order for its destruction?" the elder woman countered, her eyes beginning to pinwheel ever so slightly.

The redhead snapped her eyes back toward Moria. "What!" she demanded almost wildly. Never, in the entire history of her guardianship of the Castle, had anyone simply tried to just destroy the castle. The secrets and power within had always been considered too much of a prize to waste by any force.

"If his forces and I will remind you that they will be considerable, do not succeed in the conquest of the Castle, he has given his commanding officer permission to destroy it," Moria repeated. She paused for a moment, watching as expressions of slight panic and uncertainty passed over the redhead's face. "Do you still think I am lying to you?" The Sorceress glared at her for a moment and then closed her eyes, sighing heavily in resignation. "No," Moria answered for her, smiling softly. "You cannot afford to."

Teela'Na sighed once more and then rose from her chair, turning to the white-haired woman. "I'll grant you that, Moria," she growled, not happy about the current situation. "But that does not mean I do not doubt your motives. What _is_ in this for you?"

Lady Moria Vadorian straightened herself, hiding even her smirk behind her sang-froid. "How do you mean?" she questioned, her tone becoming as emotionless as her face.

"Why does it matter to you who wins this battle?" The younger woman pressed angrily, knowing that Moria's impassive state was a minimal retreat. "How does the fate of this entire _war_ even affect you at all!"

The Ancient Queen turned away, swallowing slowly as her expressionless composure began to ever so slightly crack. "…Hiss has my daughter in a position that she cannot get out of by herself. I want her to be free." Moria looked over her shoulder at the Sorceress. "I would think you, of all people, would understand that, _Te lynïa_."

The Sorceress hid her inner feelings, recalling with pain her last conversation with Teela. "Very well," she conceded after a long moment. "As you said, I cannot afford to not trust you, at least this time," she finished, stressing the last four words. "Should I expect further 'assistance' from you in the future?"

Moria chuckled softly and a tiny hint of her smirk fell over her lips. "It is possible."

Teela'Na nodded and sighed, as if anticipating something of the sort. "You won't give me a definite answer, of course."

"You know how I loathe being predictable, dear," the white-haired woman replied, smirking at her.

Muttering irritably, the Sorceress groaned, "How like you, Moria. You set the events in motion and simply stand back to watch them unfold."

"How like _you_, Teela'Na," Moria countered, surprising the Sorceress with the use of her real name, which the elder woman almost never used. "I offer you my assistance and _still_ you resent me for it." She sighed softly, wondering idly to herself if these visits of hers would ever end without either of them being angry. Gradually, she turned to go, setting up her portal with a swift motion of her hand. She paused at the wall, just before leaving. "I wonder," she began quietly, looking inquisitively at the other woman as she decided to test something. "Even if I saved your life, would you still feel bitterness towards me?"

The Sorceress crossed her arms over her chest impassively. "Hopefully, we'll never have to worry about that," she responded as coldly as she could.

Moria nodded slowly, looking down at the floor. So Kodec had kept her word. "I suppose not," she replied, passing her hand through the wall. "Goodbye, _Te lynïa._ I shall see you again soon." She smiled not unkindly, and then was gone.

Afterwards, the Sorceress groaned quietly to herself. "Too soon, I'm sure."


	16. Ch 15

Fifteen

Quaedian Village

Prasinus Forest, Eternia

8 June 2017

The building that Frost and his company were led to was as nondescript as those around it. Frost supposed that with a diverse spread of villages strung throughout the forest, it didn't pay to advertise where the king's throne room was located. It made sense to have a throne building near the only entrance into the maze for audiences with outsiders.

Two armored mountains of feline muscle carrying sheathed swords and clutching halberds watched the group with open suspicion as they approached. The guide stepped forward, briefly spoke to the mountain standing to the left of the plain double doors, waved them forward, and pushed the doors inward. Frost led the way with Dhalon and Anyssa on either side of him, and Jake brought up the rear.

Kittrina stood close to the simple wooden throne at the far end. Frost noted that no one else was about in the chamber which was lined with stout pillars supporting the steepled roof. There were no windows or paintings, or any other kind of decorations on the sidewalls, just plenty of torches and oil lamps that did little to chase the gloom entirely away. As they approached, they saw that there was one decoration in the room after all. A huge tapestry of such excellent quality as Frost had never seen even on Earth, adorned the wall behind the throne bearing the crest of the Quaedian people; an animal Frost did not recognize.

Seated upon the hardwood throne was a male feline roughly the five-foot ten-inches high when standing erect. A dented crown missing several jewels and badly in need of polishing capped a shaggy mane of brown fur streaked with gray. While the clothes were as nondescript as the rest of the village, compared to Kittrina's noticeable outfit, and the powerful body starting to stoop just a bit with age, King Carnivus' eyes still shone bright with intelligence unfettered by his advanced years.

Following Frost's lead, the group bowed to the revered ruler of the feline race. Each nodded in turn as Kittrina announced them to the king. King Carnivus looked each human over with a critical eye, taking in everything he saw.

Despite the clear signs of aging, the king's voice, like his eyes, was still strong and vibrant. King Carnivus asked, "What brings such interesting outlanders to my small corner of this land?"

Dhalon spoke up immediately. "My Lord, they have come in search of their companion, who left their company two days ago."

"Is this the same human you discovered in the Evergreen Forest?" the king inquired.

"Yes. He was in pretty bad shape at the time."

Carnivus grunted. "The Horde mind sifter is unforgiving. I understand this man is improving. How is this possible? Some power your people possess?" The king's eyes settled on Jake Rockwell's medallion. "Or is this ability limited to a select few?"

"Um," Jake stammered, unused to speaking to nobility. He hated even speaking to officers above the rank of colonel. "I'm not sure, sire. My friend said it was a long story, and an interesting one, if I know him."

Carnivus adopted a curious expression. "He is awake, then?"

Dhalon nodded. "For a brief time."

"Interesting. I should look forward to speaking with this man once he has recovered," King Carnivus declared. "Now, what brings such extraordinary people to Eternia?"

Frost took a deep breath. This wasn't his area. A diplomat would have been better suited for this, but since one wasn't available, he would have to give it the old collage try.

He began with the arrival of the Horde fleet over two years ago, spoke of the attack on the Horde envoy, which they still believed to be staged, and the resulting retaliations. The arrival of the advanced starship with its lone, enigmatic passenger intrigued King Carnivus. Frost purposely left out the identity of the alien until he reached the part where the Guardian Force was formed. King Carnivus could not mask his surprise at hearing that the Sorceress of Grayskull still existed.

The corporal continued his narration, glossing over the rigorous training and jumped straight into their first mission. King Carnivus listened, politely interrupting only occasionally for clarification of unfamiliar terms. The feline was visibly impressed with their success over the superior Horde force that had pursued them. Even though the victory was largely due to simple blind luck, Carnivus knew from personal experience it was sometimes better to be lucky than good.

News of the mysterious degenerative disease the Sorceress had suffered from concerned the feline ruler. His eyes widened upon hearing of her death, but relaxed suddenly tense muscles as Frost quickly explained what little he knew of the cure they found inside the ancient castle.

"An interesting tale," King Carnivus rumbled. "I am impressed by your daring and ingenuity, but how long do you hope to last against the might of the Horde? The Snake Men alone have proven to be more than we can handle."

"Not if you have allies," Frost countered. "With allies we can take back this world and all the others conquered by the Horde."

King Carnivus' stare bored into Frost. "We had many allies in the days when He-Man and his companions battled Skeletor and the Snake Men. After He-Man left for the future to help an alien world, there was no one left with enough power to prevent King Hiss from conquering the planet. After five years, He-Man returned and eventually took up the fight once more, but the damage was done. Hiss had allies himself with Horde Prime after he was unsuccessful in penetrating Castle Grayskull's magical defenses. That spelled the end for whatever hope remained for freedom in the galaxy."

"So now you hide in your lands defending your people, and wait for the Horde to come for you," Frost snapped angrily. Anyssa placed a warning hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it away. "Just because He-Man is gone does not mean you give up the fight."

"What would you know of our fight, human?" King Carnivus snarled, his razor-sharp fangs bared. Kittrina took an involuntary step away at the vehemence in Carnivus' voice. "For many years we have fought and died in battle with the Horde and their Snake Men allies. You have no idea what you are doing. Antagonizing the Snake Men will only bring an open war we cannot hope to survive." The feline ruler took a moment to cool his temper before continuing. "Take your companion and go back to whatever world spawned you. Give up this foolish fight before your world is destroyed."

"We'll take our friend," Frost promised, "but we'll return to Castle Grayskull."

"To what end? There is nothing for you on this planet," the king said, confused.

"Grayskull is no longer sealed," Anyssa replied. "How long do you think King Hiss will wait before attacking it? What do you think would happen if he succeeds in acquiring the power of the Elders?"

Frost wheeled about and strode toward the doors. Jake followed close behind. Anyssa and Dhalon followed suit after a moment's hesitation.

"We'll return to Grayskull to defend it from the Snake Men _and_ the Horde," Frost threw over his shoulder.

"And you will die," Carnivus declared, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Then I die. But at least it'll be on my feet with a weapon in my hands rather on my knees with a blade at my throat," Frost fired back acidly.

The guard to the left of the closed doors spat, "You have not been given permission to leave."

"I didn't _ask_ for any," the Marine growled back ready for a fight. Though the feline was about Frost's size, he knew which was likely the stronger. He vowed to at least make the creature's victory a painful one. "You going to move, or do I move you?"

The feline guard was at a loss as to what he should do. The human standing before him had behaved disrespectfully toward his king, but the flip side was that this man was one of those who challenged Hiss' domain and liberated many slaves. Some of them were undoubtedly Quaedians. Before he could make his choice, the doors burst open from without. A haggard feline male in full armor stormed into the throne room, unmindful of the audience that was taking place.

"My Lord, please excuse the interruption." The warrior paused to gulp air and compose himself. "There is a force of approximately twenty Horde troopers outside the gates demanding entry."

The companions looked suddenly concerned. Did the Horde know they were here? Were they not as good at keeping a low profile as they had thought?

"Who leads them?" King Carnivus demanded.

"The mercenary called Blade," the soldier responded.

Frost hissed angrily. "He lied to us. Bastard sold us out to Hiss."

"He didn't," Kittrina said calmly.

The atmosphere changed abruptly with that declaration. The king turned inquiring eyes upon the rogue female warrior. "Explain."

"The night these humans attacked the palace, by sheer coincidence I was leading a strike against a modest Horde arms factory due south of the palace. We lost two in the attack and I led Blade away to allow the others to escape. Blade has been tracking me. That's why he is here," Kittrina explained.

"And the hits just keep on coming," Jake whined.

"Kittrina. Stay here. I will meet with this mercenary and see what he wants," Carnivus declared. Kittrina looked ready to object, but a stern look from him stilled her tongue. He turned his attention to his guests. "And you will accompany me. If he truly is not here for you, then maybe we can work something out."

Frost bristled at the idea of cutting a deal with the Horde, but since he was currently unarmed and did not have a better idea, he decided to go with his host's plan. Until it blew up in their faces, that is.

King Carnivus rose from the throne and led the way with a steady, purposeful stride. Word was sent ahead of him to allow the mercenary and his Horde companion entry. The mercenary did not waste time as the king's party approached the open gates.

"Save it, Carnivus," Blade growled, cutting the feline king off before he could start. "I know the renegade is here." He turned to the troopers, ordering, "Find her."

As the robots spread out to search for their quarry, civilians fled deeper into the forest or slammed doors to their homes. All activity in the area stopped the moment the Horde troops invaded their privacy.

Blade shifted to stand before Frost and his companions. "I thought I told you to never cross my path again."

"And I thought I told you we are searching for a friend. Our search ends here," Frost growled back.

"He's here?" Blade said, returning his attention to King Carnivus. "You are making quite a few poor choices of late, Carnivus. Allowing enemies of the Horde into your realm. Harboring renegades. King Hiss may just have to do something about this bad trend."

"He is welcome to try," King Carnivus replied, fangs bared.

"Forget it, Carnivus. You and your people don't have the stomach for a fight without He-Man around to help you," Blade pointed out acidly.

The being that was not really Kragor turned from the open door to Adrian's shack, lips compressed in a grin line. His mind worked furiously to come up with some way to get his new user out of bed. So far, Adrian just lay there wrapped in blankets ignoring his warnings. That's when the idea struck.

"You ever have one of those days when you wished you took the blue pill instead of the red?" The concept stemmed from one of Adrian's favorite movies. One he referred to from time to time ever since the powered armor had been revived.

Adrian's eyes opened slowly, a bad feeling creeping up the back of his neck. "What," he said as a statement rather than a question.

"Well, you're about to have another one, if you don't get _up_," the image of Kragor warned.

A commotion somewhere outside finally made up Adrian's mind. Kicking back the blankets, Adrian struggled out of bed. Fortunately, he still wore the black and gray uniform designed for the Guardians, so he was spared any embarrassment. He staggered to the door in time to see a rather striking female Quaedian dragged kicking and screaming from the large building on the other side of the compound. Her hands were locked in metal binders behind her back, and she was thrown roughly to her knees.

A one-eyed man Adrian had never seen before in the flesh, but had seen pictures of, stood before the captive. They exchanged heated words followed by the feline spitting at his feet for which One-eye backhanded her across the faced.

"Not a good sign, is it?" the apparition asked.

"They aren't here for us," Adrian stated mater-of-factly.

"Maybe, but it does look like the others have crossed paths with One-eye before, though."

Adrian looked again, and it was true. Frost and One-eye were exchanging words, followed by a pair of troopers being dispatched in the general direction of Adrian's hut. "Crap."

"Unimaginative, but adequate. I told you before that I can show you the door, but you have to make the choice."

"Another choice," Adrian sighed, depressed.

"Your whole life is full of choices. Sometimes they aren't choices you would like."

"You're big help. Thanks."

The image of Kragor sighed. Never in his long years of slumber on that uncharted moon did he ever imagine he'd be saddled with someone as headstrong and as unpredictable as Adrian Cobretti. It reminded the specter of his previous master who wasn't much older than the present one.

"So what's it going to be?"

Frost winced as Kittrina was dragged from the throne building, but there was nothing he could do with a ring of troopers surrounding them. Anyssa looked equally helpless. Her eyes reflected Frost's desire to act, but the odds against them were too great.

Blade smiled at his long-time rival now kneeling at his feet. "A pity King Hiss wants you alive, Kittrina. What the Snake Men do to their enemies is not a way I'd prefer a warrior to die, but I only do what I'm paid to do."

"Just like a good little minion," Frost sneered.

"That's right. And this minion is going to deliver an added bonus. Free of charge," Blade snapped, making him meaning very clear. "Spread out and find his friend," the mercenary barked to the troopers. "I hear General Rattlor has a real bad interest in your companion, if he is who I think he is. Seems Rattlor has a score to settle."

"Maybe you can sell tickets. Don't forget to pre-sell the movie rights," Jake prodded.

"You won't be so glib when the Snake Men get through with you. _If_ there is anything left, that is." Blade noticed the troopers zeroing in on a specific hut. "Your friend will soon be joining us."

Frost stewed over their bleak situation. While he thought furiously for a way out of this, Frost's eyes roamed the area. They eventually settled on the hut where Adrian lay recuperating. He had to struggle to keep his face a mask of calm dejection at the sight greeting him. A familiar humanoid shape the size of your average bodybuilder stepped back out of the light. Green glowing eyes stared back at him, yellowish razor teeth lay revealed when green lips peeled back, and powerful muscles rippled under dark green flesh. The lamps in the hut were quickly extinguished as the robot troopers approached.

Head still turned toward the hut, Frost shifted only his eyes to regard the smug mercenary. "Oh," Frost replied with a gentle lilt in his voice, "I don't _think_ so…"

Blade was about to ask what Frost meant by that, but was interrupted by a horrific scuffle in the hut. Sounds of heavy impacts floated out through the open door followed closely by the tearing of metal, and the sparking of severed power cables. Pieces of arms and legs flew out to land in puffs of dust on the ground. A domed head, severed cables sparking as they discharged residual energy, landed amid the carnage of metal and plastic.

The troopers outside reacted instantly. Laser fire burned through the walls setting fire to the interior. Something big passed through the fires and smashed its way through the back wall. The firing paused as the robots searched for their elusive target. It appeared briefly in the shaft of torch light between the burning building and its neighbor. A hideous thing standing over six feet in height, dressed in rags which did nothing to cover its powerful upper torso, and the features vaguely resembling a rat stalked away. Laser fire tracked it, but the reaction time was too slow.

Troopers rushed after the creature, but in its wake. Instead they moved down the line of huts looking to cut it off before it could get away. While the robots moved to re-engage, the monstrosity lumbered along the tree line. It came upon a knot of Quaedians huddling in a small niche; a mother and her two children. The mother opened her mouth to scream, but the creature backed away placed a taloned finger to its lips in what it hoped was a universal sign to stay quiet. The mother complied, clutching the frightened and whimpering children closer.

Pounding footsteps drew their attention to corner of the hut. The beast slid up to the edge and waited. At the precise moment the robots bounded around into the blackness, the quarry they sought struck with a vengeance. The first trooper was shoved head-long into a thick tree trunk, crushing the domed head and the computer brain it protected. The second robot skidded to a halt, trying to bring its laser rifle into play. The creature grabbed the arm clutching the pistol grip and yanked. Powerful muscles squeezed, crushing artificial muscles and cables. The robot hurtled away minus the forearm and weapon, spinning into a heap ten feet away. Ditching the severed appendage, the transformed Adrian Cobretti fired several laser bolts into the robot to put it down for good. He dropped the weapon, morphed into a more suitable form right before the horrified eyes of the cowering natives, and took off like some grotesque spider with long, thin appendages, three-fingered hands, an impossibly elongated head, and a notched tail ending in a wicked tip.

Blade saw the new monster a split second before it sailed at full speed from the roof of the hut to land on top of a trooper, destroying it instantly. Three-fingered hands and spiked tail slashed, stabbed, and tripped up troopers in droves. Frost landed in powerful right cross to Blade, grabbed Dhalon, and ordered everyone to make a break for the path deeper into the forest. He snatched a discarded laser rifle with a bladed end where the butt stock should be and slipped the razor edge between Kittrina's bound wrists. The stout leather parted easily with in swift flick.

"Our weapons," Frost demanded. "Where are they?"

The female outlaw cast a furtive glance to King Carnivus, who nodded grimly. Kittrina led the way back down the path to the next small knot of buildings. Jake Rockwell backpedaled at a slower pace. He tapped the medallion hanging from its silver chain to activate his armor. The pursuers paused at Jake's startling transformation from human male into armored war machine. Twin-barreled gatling canons snapped out and around to where he could easily grasp the firing handles. He zeroed in on the leader of the robot force as he was recovering from Frost's punch, and gently squeezed the firing levers.

A buzz saw whine shattered the silence as plasma bolts ripped into the dirt. Jake wasn't trying to take them on alone; instead, he merely delayed the enemy long enough for his companions to retrieve their weapons and even the odds. In the sputtering flash of plasma fire, Jake saw the Alien take down another trooper when a troop transport soared in over the battlefield. Jake couldn't stay any longer when the ship opened up on him. The distraction was enough for the creature to leapfrog across the field to the throne building, and scramble up the side like some weird spider. Once on the roof, it watched as Jake continued to backpedal, alternating his fire between the troops on the ground and those in the air trying to pin him down. Jake's plan suddenly became clear. He was drawing the carrier in so Adrian could do something about it. Lucky for them the Horde robots were obliging by shedding altitude. In moments the craft was well within leaping distance of Adrian's transformed body.

A brief running start and a flex of powerful inhuman muscles shot the creature into the yawning troop door. The pilots perceived their danger when several troopers were flung out the open hatches. They saw the monstrosity stalking forward from the troop bay and turned back to the flight controls. The ship veered toward the towering gates to the Quaedian village when the creature reached the cockpit.

Jake watched as the ship turned away after disgorging several unwilling troopers. The steady flight abruptly became erratic and occasional flashes could be seen in the open starboard hatch. An insect-like form leapt through that orifice as the ship crossed over the gates. Moments later a fireball blossomed somewhere beyond followed by a thundering explosion. Satisfied that his friend was still in one piece, Jake stowed his canons, spun about, and sprinted off after his companions.

Adrian tore apart one pilot and enough of the controls to cripple the ship. His work done, Adrian turned for the open starboard hatch. He timed his leap just right and dove as the dying carrier crossed over the gates. Adrian landed heavier than he had intended and not at all where he wanted. His abrupt appearance had knocked several warriors over the rail. Two managed to climb back up and run the other direction, but the third dangled precariously without any way to get back up without assistance.

The Quaedian panicked when the black wraith leaned through the lower horizontal bars and reached out for him. Since Adrian could not speak in this form he jerked his hand out to the frightened feline. And second jerk, and the warrior's hands slipping from his precarious perch, was enough for him to take a chance.

In-human hands slapped forearms after several failed attempts to connect. Adrian heaved as the warrior's grip on the outcropping of wood finally gave way. He swung to the right and then was whipped back to the left using momentum to assist in getting the feline back up to the walkway. Adrian had to repeat the swing a second time before the warrior had enough momentum to make it. Once safely back up on the walkway, the pair crouched there looking one another over.

Adrian broke the moment by gesturing for the feline to take cover. His second gesture to the unresponsive warrior was punctuated by a shout from the ground quickly followed by intense laser fire. The Quaedian bolted south along the walkway while Adrian sprinted north toward the bland palace structure. Once close enough, he executed a soaring leap to the roof, and off into the treetops.

Blade ordered a cease-fire once the monster was out of sight. Several troopers started to pursue, but he ordered them back. Instead, he ordered the second assault carrier to ground outside. The remaining troopers pulled the doors open to allow the reinforcements entry.

"Send in the drones," Blade growled to his designated command trooper.

A full dozen battle drones marched through the gates in column formation until they reached the trail winding deeper into the forest. The unarmed scout took the lead while the remaining units formed up fifteen paces behind. All eleven were armed only with a single weapons pod attached at the right elbow. All were alert and searching for the enemy they knew to be hiding somewhere ahead.

Kittrina lead the group to a nondescript shack in the knot of buildings that was the next in a long string of clearings in the forest. Frost was shocked when the feline warrior simply pushed the door open and turned to light an oil lamp hanging inside near the door. King Carnivus explained that security measures for weapons were not required because all Quaedians were instructed in their use from an early age. This gave Carnivus' people the added advantage of being able to defend their homelands down to the last man, woman, and child. Frost likened it to his history lessons on Earth's Second World War where the United States had to find a different way to end the Pacific War without invading the Japanese home islands; islands which would have been defended in the same way.

Antone and Anyssa wasted no time in reclaiming their weapons. Frost slung the pulse rifle across his back, and checked out the sniper rifle. Anyssa removed the cap on a quiver of arrows and slung the contained across her back to where she could snatch an arrow from over the right shoulder. Frost finished his check just in time to watch his companion remove a compact contraption from a worn leather case. At the touch of a button, the devise unpacked itself from around a curious handle. In moments, a compound bow with string set at the desired tension was ready for battle.

Antone whistled appreciatively. "Sweet. Adrian loves bows. I'm pretty sure he would want one of those."

"Why don't we save this for another day?" Anyssa replied, with a sly grin. She pulled on a leather guard for the left arm, and a glove with only the middle and ring finger protected on the right hand.

"No well-dressed archer should be without one," Frost persisted, flashing his trademark cocky grin.

Anyssa left the hut and joined Jake at the edge of the clearing. Jake was scanning the gloomy train using his suit's powerful sensors. So far, all was quiet.

"I hope someone has a good idea," Jake said grimly. He caught them up on what Adrian had done before either of them had been forced to retreat.

Frost just shook his head. "For a guy who doesn't like what he has become, Adrian sure knows how to get a party started."

"Taught him everything I know," Jake declared proudly.

"That couldn't have taken very long," Anyssa interjected flatly. "Now, about the Horde?"

"Oooo. This could be a fair fight, after all. And who wants that?" Jake replied, sobering up.

Frost hissed a quiet curse. "Let me guess. Battle drones."

"Yup," Jake confirmed, watching the machines march steadily toward them in his visor's artificial display. "Hope you remembered to bring along some of Gabe's drone remedies."

"Yup," the corporal answered, making a sour face. He explained to Anyssa, "One of our scientists came up with caseless ballistic rounds of Etherium. Unfortunately, we only have a limited supply. The alloy is too difficult for our science to make in any great quantity."

The trio spread out to take up defensive positions overlooking the dimly lighted path. Jake settled back into the trees on the right. Anyssa and Frost took positions on the left in between the first two buildings. Anyssa loaded an arrow while Frost slapped a magazine painted with a red band into the receiver of the sniper rifle, snapped back the charging lever, and let it slam forward, chambering the first round.

Waiting was always the worst part, and the slow march of the battle drones only made it worst. At least Carnivous and Kittrina had something to do. They were arming every warrior in this clearing, and ushering the residents to either barricade themselves in their homes, or flee to the next clearing in the chain.

Frost had the sudden realization as to why this little kingdom still existed. Because the Horde would have to fight from one clearing to the next until they reached the end of the chain, the only other option available would have been an orbital bombardment. He also realized any serious engagement against any race on Eternia may provoke a renewed alliance like the one King Randor built in the years prior to He-Man leaving to help the beleaguered planet Primus. Such an alliance would prove very problematic for King Hiss.

Trouble was, how did one bring one-time allies back together again to take up the fight once more?

Frost shook off that line of thought. It wasn't his area of expertise. His job was to find the enemy and kill it. Antone was damn good at his job. He returned his attention to the trail connecting this clearing with the entrance area, and nearly jumped out of his skin.

There, standing just inside the clearing, was a scout-model battle drone. The red sensor above the visor plate took in all the activity. No telling how long the blasted thing had been standing there, but the damage was done.

"Scout!" Frost shouted, snapping the rifle up to his shoulder.

No one got the chance to fire as a large, black insect launched itself from the treetops, and slammed head-long into the scout's armored chest plate with enough force to unbalance the machine's gyros. Machine and assailant toppled to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs. Sensing the danger to its existence, the drone lashed out with its hands in a futile attempt to bat the attacker away.

By the same token, the Alien could not get in a solid strike because of the robot's flailing hands. The creature took several blows to the head and shoulders, and the spiked tail did little more than make shallow dents in the machine's armor. Rearing up, the alien morphed into the carapace body of the syngenor, snapped out twin bone claws that were much harder than any bone could ever be, and plunged them deep into the drone's chest. Armored arms and legs shuddered for several seconds before easing to the ground.

The syngenor stood up, retracted its deadly weapons, and backed away. Reverting to human form, Adrian admonished Jake, "You're getting sloppy, Rockwell."

Armor activated in the amazing transformation that left any Quaedian in sight dumbfounded, Adrian moved to an ideal position from which he could draw enemy fire away from his companions allowing them to catch the machines in a crossfire.

Battle drones began emerging from the trail in pairs. As soon as the structures came into their sights the drones opened up with a withering barrage of laser fire. Their intent appeared to be to set fire to anything that would burn.

Frost snapped his rifle up, took aim at the drone to the right, and blasted a single round into its chest. Sparks erupted behind the chest plate marking the demise of the robot's central processing unit. Machines marching up from behind simply shoved their dead companion out of the way to make room for the march to continue forward.

Anyssa slammed an arrow into the chest of the drone on the left. The shaft punched completely through the lead machine to bury itself deep in the chest of the one immediately behind it. Both were unceremoniously shoved aside to make room for those bringing up the rear.

"My people learned economical ways of forging and casting Etherium long ago," Anyssa explained, flashing a slight smile, and drawing another arrow.

"When this is over, we need to talk," Frost replied, blasting another drone.

Adrian raised the plasma rifle to add his firepower to the defense of the village. He almost squeezed the trigger when his external speakers picked up feminine wails somewhere behind him. He whirled about, spotted the mother and two children, who had been too slow in taking cover, as laser bolts began raining down on their immediate area. Without thinking, Adrian crossed the thirty feet separating them in four quick strides, laser bolts splashing against his back. He scooped the Quaedians up, took another two steps to the front door of an abandoned shack, and slammed his right arm against it. The door jam shattered instantly, and the door swung inward hanging askew on warped hinges.

Adrian gently shoved his charges inside. "Stay here. You'll be safe," he advised.

"Who are you?" the cowering Quaedian whimpered.

Adrian did his best to sound non-threatening despite the terrifying look of his battle armor. "A friend," he replied, sounding as friendly as possible despite the external speaker's inability to convey the emotion.

More laser fire splashed against his armor followed closely by the terrifying sounds of railguns discharging. White corkscrew trails marked the flight paths of those lethal projectiles as the machines zeroed in on the most dangerous target in their sights. The neutronium shield deflected rounds harmlessly away while Adrian locked targeting sights of the nearest drone.

_Can you ratchet down the discharge so that it only destroys the target?_

_Don't know,_ the suit's AI responded, not sounding confident. _I've never tried that._

_Look. You want me to accept our pairing and all that comes with it. Fine. You gotta meet me half way,_ Adrian thought to the reluctant machine. _You never know what you can do until you try._

_Very well._

The mental exchange last but a second, but the results were spectacular. A smooth squeeze of the rifle's trigger unleashed a powerful blast that vaporized the targeted drone without doing anything more than scorching the surfaces of a few nearby trees.

More laser fire and railgun slugs ripped through the war zone. Anyssa and Frost were forced to abandon their position in the face of a coordinated railgun assault while the remaining troop carrier added its fire from above. Jake sent mental commands to extend the armatures to position the twin gatling canons where he could bring them to bear on the enemy - but nothing happened!

"Jake! We need a little help here," Frost shouted over the dim of battle.

"My suit won't function. I can't make it do anything!" an agitated Jake Rockwell snapped.

Adrian's voice came across the tactical net the powered armor shared. "Jake. The suits are more than just weapons of war. They are _living_ weapons of war. Threat him as such."

Jake left the real world without any warning whatsoever. A man about Jake's height, sporting a similar stocky build and rugged facial features, green eyes, and a full head of sandy blonde hair was the only other occupant in this white void.

"Who are you?" Jake demanded, irritably. He didn't have time for this.

"You know who I am, Jake Rockwell," the man replied in a neutral voice. "Search your memories."

"I don't have time for this! My friends need me!"

"_Make the time!_" the man fired back testily. "You have been ignoring the obvious for long enough. You have been ignoring _us_ for long enough."

"You're the armor?" Jake said, dumbfounded. He vaguely remembered Cabe saying something about rudimentary intelligence in the armor software.

As if the man had read Jake's thoughts, he replied, "Oh, there is nothing rudimentary about us. Not anymore. We have evolved. We are aware. And we want to fight as much as you, but not as tools."

"Then what? I mean, if you are intelligent machines, what do you want?"

The figure approached until they stood less than a foot apart. "I am an extension of you, and you are an extension of me. We fight together. Two acting as one. That's what the experiment was."

"What experiment? What are you talking about?" Jake demanded, totally confused.

"Later. Do you agree?"

Jake gave the only answer possible, though he knew not why. "Yes. Yes. Let's get through this battle. Then I'll listen to what you have to say."

The man's green eyes continued to bore into Jake for a few heartbeats, and then he cracked a big, toothy grin. "Agreed. Now, let's go kill some robots!"

Reality snapped back into focus for Jake. Nothing had changed from the moment he had left it. In fact, according to his suit's chronometer, barely a second had passed. He didn't have time to think about it, however, as the twin gatling canons were extended out to the firing position. Jake grasped the trigger handles and tracked the hovering trooper carrier. Plasma bursts arched harmlessly into the night sky as the nimble machine darted away to Jake's left.

"Good to see you back in the game," Adrian replied, pointing his rifle skyward. "Get ready to throw the dog a bone."

Jake knew what that meant; they had practiced the maneuver enough. Adrian bracketed the annoying craft in his sights, knowing it would dart away the moment he fired. His medium-powered blast just missed as the Horde craft darted back to the east – right into Jake's waiting volley. The buzz saw sound characteristic of his weapons pierced the air. Plasma bolts lit the night as they sought the floating prey. The assault carrier evaded Adrian's attack right into Jake's fire just as they practiced it. Lethal energy bolts slammed into the armor, melting gapping holes in the plates, laying bare vital mechanical and electrical innards to the trailing plasma fire. The craft exploded well north of the village, where the flaming debris rained harmlessly down into thick clumps of trees.

The last four drones out of the original twelve entered the clearing, raining laser fire and railgun slugs down on the defenders. Jake blew one apart with a withering burst from his right canon assembly. Frost and Anyssa each dropped a drone. Adrian leaped into the air; wings spread and backpack thrusters firing. The drone's targeting computer tried to compensate, but its opponent was just too quick.

Adrian landed in front of the machine, too close for it to employ the weapons pod. His armor shrank down to a more form-fitting version of itself. Cylinders ten inches long and a little over two inches in diameter dropped into his palms. A _snap-hiss_ from each devise marked the materialization of three-foot blades of pure energy. Blades _thrummed_ the air as Adrian deftly whirled them about. The pattern ended with the sabers crossed at the machines throat. A quick backward snap of his arms severed the head. As the armored head bounced away like a basketball, the drone's body literally fell apart along the severing lines he made with the saber dance.

Frost, Anyssa, Jake, and a disgruntled Dhalon approached as the sabers were closed down. The battle was over for the moment. The troopers who had been following the battle drones retreated when the last one fell. Unfortunately, the only way out was straight ahead. Carnivus and Kittrina joined them.

"They're waiting for us," Frost said unnecessarily.

"Blade won't leave without a fight," Anyssa added.

"Blade, huh?" Adrian said, thinking back to the intelligence reports stolen from the Horde. He winced as a lightning flash of pain seared through his brain.

"You okay?" Jake asked, concerned his friend was not totally recovered.

"Fine," Adrian growled. "I think it's time the Blade and I met on a more personal level."

Frost opened his mouth to object, but an elbow to the ribs from Anyssa stopped him. Hohiro had specifically warned them against engaging the mercenary in personal battle because the man was extremely deadly with his swords.

"How?" Dhalon grunted.

"Oh, I'll just walk right out through this path," Adrian answered, transforming once more. Heavy footfalls preceded him.

"Ballsy," Frost said grimly to his friend's back. "Stupid, but ballsy."

Blade was joined by new arrivals delivered by an unarmed transport. Evil-Lyn, Beast Man, Tri Klops, Trapjaw, and Clawful entered the compound with six more troopers. The mercenary winced at the flaming destruction of the second assault transport. He knew the sound of a gatling canon when he heard it. Blade carefully masked any further reaction to the raging battle from the minions around him. Showing weakness to any of them, especially Evil-Lyn, could be dangerous.

Retreating troopers marked a temporary end to the fighting, and marked the demise of all twelve battle drones. An explanation was demanded from the lead trooper, identified by a red fin on the domed head.

"We had to retreat. They have an army waiting in there," the robot reported.

"Oh, I doubt that," Evil-lyn scoffed. "More likely there are only a few fighters and you let yourselves get beaten by them."

Tri Klops switched from one eye sensor to the next, trying different systems to locate the enemy. The last setting he used was magnification, and spotted the most bizarre thing he'd ever seen. The only reason he spotted it at all was because of the glowing silver, egg-shaped eyes starring back at him.

Beast Man sensed the creature's presence, and Trapjaw gave a shout of warning.

"What is that?" Blade hissed.

Enhancing her vision, Evil-Lyn replied, "It's _him_. The changeling." She shuddered, remembering the last time she had seen this form and the damage it had done to General Rattlor.

"He's mine," Blade growled, drawing both swords.

As the combatants approached one another, Frost, Anyssa, Dhalon, and the rest emerged from the trail with weapons at the ready. Tri Klops drew his sword, Beast Man prepared his whip, and Trapjaw reconfigured his mechanical right arm into a powerful claw.

Clawful charged at Frost, taking him by surprise and not allowing him a chance to get off a shot at the hulking crab-like creature with his pulse rifle. Huge claws snapped at him repeatedly. Frost knew if he got caught just once by those pincers, it would be all over. Frost found himself backed up against the trees with nowhere left to go. He ducked under a punch aimed at his head, and dodged to his left. Clawful twisted and drew back his right pincer for a powerful stroke aimed at ending this. An Etherium shaft darted in, pierced the pincer, and pinned it to a tree. Surprised, Clawful brought the other pincer around to try to free the trapped appendage, but another Etherium shaft slammed home, pinning that claw back.

Anyssa kept a weary eye on Evil-Lyn, who was doing the same. Both remembered their last encounter. She kept troopers at bay while Frost slid his right hand forward on the rifle to the firing lever for the grenade launcher. The first trooper caught a ten-millimeter grenade square in the chest, and blew apart. He pumped the cocking slide to jack the next round into the chamber. A second robot exploded near the first ten meters away. A third machine quickly fell in a fiery demise.

Clawful had been spouting curses and promising a painful death as soon as he got free of the arrows pinning his pincers. Having more than an earful of the mouthy creature, Frost reloaded the launcher, pumped the slide, jacked in one more grenade, walked over to the foul crab, and jammed the pulse rifle's muzzle into Clawful's gapping mouth.

"One pull of this trigger and we'll all find out what a pretty picture a grenade will make of your head, if you don't shut up!" Frost growled venomously.

Dhalon hacked away at several troopers on his way to engage Trapjaw. He evaded the massive clawed appendage deftly, and replied with a strike near the elbow with his battleaxe. The axe did no damage to the hardened alloy, however. Trapjaw chuckled and swept the annoying Quaedian aside, but Dhalon wasn't that easy to get rid of. He rolled to his feet and sprang back at the half-man, half-machine minion of the Horde. The Quaedian's sudden flurry of strikes drove Trapjaw backwards. Trapjaw realized he would have to deal with Dhalon before he could help out Clawful. Evil-Lyn moved to help him, but Anyssa mirrored the witch's moves with an arrow at the ready. Based on the speed with which Anyssa had fired at Clawful, Evil-Lyn had no doubt the warrior woman could launch an arrow at her if she even thought about erecting a magical shield.

Tri Klops and Beast Man moved in on Jake Rockwell. Normally, Jake liked two to one odds, but these two opponents were no slouches. With Blade and Adrian focused on one another, and no one daring to get in their way, Jake would have to deal with them himself. The pair rushed Jake simultaneously, but only one got through. A blur of brown fur and blue cloth dove from above and behind the Guardian to slam into the burly Tri Klops. Beast Man collided with Jake, taking them both to the ground.

Jake threw the king of beasts away and rolled onto one side to get back to his feet. The armor was durable, mobile and hostile, but it was only so flexible in full combat mode. Nevertheless, Jake dished out what he got. Beast Man flailed at the armored warrior with his whip, which was tantamount to smacking a battleship with a flyswatter. Jake made short work of the whip by catching it, ripping it from Beast Man's hands, and tearing it to pieces. In response, Beast Man snapped out the three-inch claws stowed in each fingertip, and charged his enemy. If he couldn't hurt Jake with the whip, he'd try the more personal approach.

Kittrina and Tri Klops waged their own battle amid the clash and clang of swords. Despite his muscular physique, Tri Klops was hard pressed to gain an advantage on his opponent. She was quick with strikes, parries, and thrusts all designed to keep him off balance. All the while, Kittrina steadily pushed him away from any help his companions could offer.

Adrian and Blade stared one another down in the middle of the battlefield. The creature snapped out twin bone claws in response to Blade's drawn swords. Blade thought simple bone was no match for his steel blades. He launched into a dizzying array of twirls and swings designed to confuse opponents until it was too late when the real strike landed. Moving with a dexterity no one would have believed possible in a creature's design such as this, the syngenor blocked all of Blade's attacks with forearms and forelegs. Sparks flew at each impact, and the steel blades sang the unique siren song when steel impacts steel.

_That's not possible!_ Blade thought furiously. _No carapace is _that_ strong!_

Adrian took the next overhead strike between the left arm claws. The sword scrapped down their length and slammed into the curled fist without doing anything but throwing off a pretty shower of sparks. He took a swipe at the mercenary aimed for the soft belly, but the man leapt backward out of the way. Blade returned the favor by making a stab for the thin gap along the left side where the front and back carapace plates met. Adrian deftly twisted away from the blade, letting it whistle by under his arm. He clamped a powerful hand down on Blade's, took a twisting step backward, and pulled the man with him.

Adrian used the momentum to sling the mercenary away from him, ripping the sword from Blade's hand in the process. Blade yelped in surprise that he'd lost the weapon so easily. When his opponent twirled it up to the ready position, Blade had a momentary stab of fear it would be used against him. Instead, the creature grasped the sword at the guard with the left hand, and then gripped the blade a foot in from the tip with the right hand. Those watching witnessed a further sample of the true power Adrian Cobretti commanded regardless of what form he took. Powerful muscles rippled beneath the carapace armor, and in a flash, snapped the steel blade clean in half roughly in the middle of its length. Throwing the pieces away behind him, Adrian stalked his prey once more.

The entire group of battles ended with a beaten Beast Man being thrown to ground at Evil-Lyn's feet. Tri Klops had been expertly relieved of his sword by Kittrina and chased toward the witch. Clawful finally managed to free himself, but Frost was too quick in getting away. Instead, he found himself staring down the shaft of an Etherium arrow, and wisely backed off. Evil-Lyn was a non-factor with Anyssa watching her like a hawk looking for any reason to put an arrow or two in her.

And Blade? Blade lost his other sword, which Adrian promptly snapped in half like the first. He grabbed fistfuls of tunic, and slammed the mercenary up against a massive gate door. Reverting to human form with the armor reduced to its more nimble form-fitting configuration, Adrian dangled the man a full foot above the ground.

"What are you?" Blade choked out. Not since battling He-Man had he been so soundly beaten.

"Relax, Blade. I'm not going to kill you," Adrian said between the occasional barks of Frost's pulse rifle. "I want you to go back to your master and tell him the Guardians have returned. The time of the Evil Horde is over. It's _our_ time, now."

Adrian threw Blade in the direction of the gathered minions of King Hiss. No one caught him, and he landed hard in the dirt. Kittrina stepped forward and snapped her left arm out. Tri Klops' sword impaled the ground between his splayed feet, causing him to jerk back in surprise. Frost blasted the last trooper into robot oblivious, and turned his sights on the evil warriors.

"Get out of here. Go tell Hiss what I told you!" Adrian barked, transforming his armor into full battle mode. To goad the defeated warriors along, he aimed the plasma rifle in their general direction, gave them a moment to realize what he intended and then began snapping off low power blasts into the ground.

They retreated like a spooked herd of buffalo stampeding for the unarmed transport. The shocktrooper pilots lifted off immediately and tore off across the night sky, heading north.

Adrian deactivated his armor completely, and leaned heavily against the gate. The toll taken on him by the constant battle had been worse than he had feared. The damage done by the mind sifter had not been completely repaired. The fighting only aggravated the damage to the point where even with the use of the armor's amazing abilities; it would not be enough to heal him again.

"We're making friends fast around here," Frost commented dryly. "Hey, you all right? You don't look so good."

"No," Adrian answered, grimacing as another stab of pain struck. "We'll have to leave before they decide to come back in larger numbers."

Anyssa and Jake took charge of Adrian and helped him out past the massive wall. Frost turned to regard King Carnivus, Kittrina, and the small group of warriors gathering.

"So what's it going to be, Your Majesty?"

The companions watched as the gates closed with a heavy _thump_ and the massive locking bolts were slid into place. Carnivus repeated that he would not antagonize King Hiss. Kittrina admitted that Frost and his friends had spirit, complimented them on their fighting skill, but said she would not join them. The Quaedian people would maintain their isolation in the hope of weathering the storm.

"Well, I guess we're back to square one," Frost sighed.

"The Guardians cannot fight this war alone," Adrian said weakly. "Even the Guardian Force won't last long once the Horde decides we are a serious threat."

"Well, you've got us," Frost replied.

"Who else do you need?" Anyssa added, grinning.

"Indeed," Dhalon declared.

Adrian cast a faint smile. "Well, it's a start."

Jake hissed a curse, staring off to the north. "Here we go again."

"Jake, you fight this one. I'm a little tucked out," Adrian said, sinking to the tall grass.

A pair of lights high in the night sky was rapidly approaching. It was too soon for King Hiss' minions to be returning for a rematch, unless reinforcements had already been on the way. The group waited anxiously as the craft slowly drew closer. Soon a sound could be heard riding in on the wind.

Adrian's head came up as his brain processed the sound's pitch. He and Frost looked at each other, saying in unison, "Dropship."

Indeed it was a dropship. It didn't take the pilot long to locate them and bath them the ship's spotlights. The craft cruised in lightly, stabilized, and settled to the ground twenty yards away. The engines throttled back to idle, but were not shut down. The companions made their way to the aft boarding ladder where a familiar female awaited them.

"Damn, you're a sight for sore eyes!" Jake exclaimed, grinning broadly.

Lieutenant Feril replied, "You're always a sight, Rockwell. Let's get aboard. We have to get back to Grayskull immediately."

"How did you find us?" Frost asked, fearing he already knew the answer.

"That Kodec Ungor person told us where to start searching. All we really had to do was follow the explosions," Feril answered with a rye smile. "You just can't do anything quietly, can you?" She looked around him at Anyssa and Dhalon.

"Why the rush?" Frost demanded, after introducing Feril to Anyssa and Dhalon.

She didn't have time for this, and Adrian looked like he was in dire need of medical assistance. "We received information that King Hiss is going to attack Castle Grayskull the day after tomorrow. His goal will be simple: capture the castle for himself, or destroy it so no one else can have it."

"And here I thought things couldn't get any worst," Jake said bitterly.

"Let's go!" Feril ordered. "I don't want to be in the air when those Horde transports start bringing down whatever they plan to through at us. We can get Cobra medical attention at the castle, too."

"What for?" Adrian snapped. "The Sorceress is gone. What chance do we really have?"

Feril and Frost exchanged stunned looks. In all the commotion, no one had taken the time to tell him what had taken place in his absence.

"She's not gone. Her body died, yes, but her soul, spirit, or whatever you want to believe in, was trapped in the castle while her body was repaired," Frost explained while an impatient Feril fidgeted.

"Don't play with me, Antone."

"I'm not! I saw her returned to us by the castle," Frost protested.

Anyssa added, "Kodec Ungor was preparing to finish what the castle started when I joined in the search for you."

_They speak the truth, Adrian,_ Adrian's armor replied in his tormented brain.

_And you know this – how?_

_I have contacted the Falcon armor, and she confirmed it; the Sorceress lives. She can help you._

An oval began to materialize off the nose of the dropship. It stabilized into the shape they had seen the Sorceress create a time or two. Adrian turned toward the portal cocking his head, as if listening to someone only he could hear. The others slowly boarded the ship, but Adrian hung back.

"What is it?" Frost asked cautiously.

"I can't go back with you. Not yet."

"Hey, look. I didn't come all this way looking for you only to go back empty-handed," Frost declared. "Whatever is wrong with you can be fixed at Grayskull."

"No," Adrian said, shaking his head. He looked back at the portal. "I need to do this. I can't explain why, but I feel it's necessary to walk through that portal."

"You don't know who or what is on the other side of that," Feril protested.

Adrian agreed, "No. I don't, but I get the impression there is no malice by whoever is there."

Frost blew out a resigned sigh. He knew he couldn't change Adrian's mind, especially when he knew he had to do something. Frost waggled a finger at his friend. "You better be there when we need you."

"I'll be there," Adrian promised, relieved this wouldn't be a fight.

He watched his friends board the dropship, raise the ramp, and take-off. He continued to watch into the ship was long out of sight in the night sky. Alone now except for the sentient armor, Adrian turned and, after a moment's hesitation, walked boldly through the portal.

Up on the massive Quaedian defensive wall, King Carnivus and Kittrina watched what had just taken place. Of course, the people from Earth were too far away to hear anything, but the body language said most of what they wanted to know. King Carnivus remained adamant that they should not get involved. However, as he walked away, Kittrina was not so sure just how much he really meant it.

175


	17. Ch 16

Sixteen

Planet Phantos

9 June 2017

"Isn't this where we came in?" Hohiro complained.

The _Eternia_ crew members had remained in the forest throughout the previous day. Jo-jo figured the ship had taken damage in their wild escape from the Horde fighter pursuit, so she elected to remain in hiding to give the crew time to make repairs and return. They tensed as the occasional Horde fighter scanned the forest for their quarry, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before their luck ran out.

Hohiro managed to hook their portable comlink into the aircar's communication equipment to boost the power output. While this gave them the advantage of more power and transmission range, it also increased the likelihood of the Horde triangulating in on their position.

A wing of fighters cruised from the forest and released a flight of missiles into the tree tops just as Jo-jo's group was finishing a meager breakfast of nuts, berries, and a few assorted native fruits. Since the aircar had already been packed for departure, all they had to do was dive in and race for their lives when the first detonations ripped the trees apart.

Private Corwitz frantically called the _Eternia_ for help, praying the ship was close enough to pick up the transmission.

"Head south as best you can," Jo-jo ordered over the roaring wind whipping through the open cockpit. Hohiro was already doing just that, but the attacking fighters changed tactics and came at them from several directions due to his somewhat effective evasive maneuvers.

"They're trying to herd us," Hohiro replied, grimly.

"Yeah, but to where?" Jo-jo agreed, coming to the same conclusion.

It didn't take long to figure out the Horde strategy. The fighters had only one job: hold the enemy in place, or herd them north. From the north sped a powerful force of wheeled assault carriers and armored speeders. Despite Hohiro's elaborate evasive pattern, they were steadily being hemmed in. Very soon there would be no place to run.

After minutes of fruitless evasion, Hohiro slammed on the brakes in frustration. Assault carriers were closing the distance while the more agile speeders cut off the southern escape routes. Jo-jo's group had just run out of time.

Jo-jo motioned for everyone to stay put despite the repeated demands to exit the vehicle. Hohiro gripped his laser pistol so tightly the knuckles of his right hand had turned white. They couldn't shoot their way out of this, and the feisty oriental was not about to spend time as a Horde prisoner.

The speaker built into the dashboard suddenly crackled to life. "Sorry we're late," Ace McCloud replied. "We had a few difficulties to take care of."

The unmistakable sounds of a starship's engines on full burn drifted to Jo-jo and company on the slight breeze. It grew rapidly louder by the second as the starship closed on their position. A new sound pierced the air moments later when powerful laser bolts ripped across the sky to intersect with a Horde fighter wheeling about for another run at Jo-jo's location. One, two, and then three fighters were systematically blown apart before the enemy even knew the renegade starship was in the area.

_Eternia_ roared over the plains from the south, crossed over the forest where Jo-jo's party had spent the past day and night, executed a hard, high-Gee bank, and came soaring back. Dorsal guns kept the fighters at bay as Ace brought the nimble starship into a hover. Ventral quad guns opened up on the ground forces, peppering them with a sustained volley fanning back and forth across the battle line.

There was something wrong about the quad guns, though. The power output of each burst was normal, but the reaction time appeared to be slower than normal, almost mechanized. Jo-jo realized the guns were under computer rather than human guidance. She didn't have time to ponder the evidence further as the Horde ground forces finally reached optimum range to return fire.

Powerful energy canons unleashed torrents of coherent light bursts, which splashed ineffectually against the starship's shields. Lieutenant Denton answered the enemy fire with everything the _Eternia_ had.

The objective was not to eliminate the entire division of attackers. Rather, the fire pattern was designed to destroy only a large enough section of the encircling forces to allow _Eternia_ to drop her forward shield arc, and retrieve the missing crewmembers.

Denton's voice crackled over the comlink Jo-jo pulled from the dashboard as she ordered her people to abandon the aircar. "Get ready, captain. We're going to drop the forward shields to get you on board," the lieutenant advised.

One more salvo from the ventral guns cleared the way. _Eternia_ settled close the ground, as if to set down on the landing gear. Hovering at the same approximate height as if it were sitting on the landing gear, the forward shield arc died away as the boarding ramp lowered. Jo-jo ordered her people to move out. She and Hohiro brought up the rear as they sprinted for safety.

The roar of the idling main engines and the blast from the hovering jets drowned out all other noises. None of the sprinting humans could hear or feel the laser bolts searing the air as they streaked by. The heated wash from the hovering engines masked the superheated passage of coherent energy shafts.

Jo-jo pounded up the ramp, the last one to board. Hohiro slapped a hand to control, panel causing the pressure hatch to slam shut, and the ramp to rise. Jo-jo could hear the faint sounds of shield emitters powering up. Although inertia dampers made faster-than-light travel possible while masking the feeling of acceleration, Jo-jo swore she could feel the starship wheel about and accelerate rapidly.

Under Ace's guiding hand, the ship raced for the stars, breaking free of the planet's gravity well in mere minutes at full sub-light power. Horde fighters continued pursuit despite the clear fact that the Earth ship was simply trying to disengage from the fight.

Explosions flashed outside the bridge canopy as Jo-jo settled into the captain's chair. Hohiro stumbled through the lift doors as the ship shuddered violently from a volley of direct hits. More enemy fire intersected the starship's flight path as Ace roared for the solar system's outer edge.

Upon her terse command, Lieutenant Denton and Ace brought Jo-jo up to speed on what happened since the breakout from the city spaceport. News of the injuries resulting from the sabotaged quad gun power couplings infuriated her. Jo-jo irrationally jumped to conclusions as to who was guilty of such a heinous act, but kept her lips tightly pressed together. Jo-jo listened impassively to the rest of the report, her face an emotionless mask.

Once the report was complete, Ace officially returned command of the _Eternia_ to Captain Majourny. "Sergeant Cox. Captain Takamora," she said, addressing the pair who had silently entered the bridge. "Find Harris and his friends and detain them. If they resist, shoot them."

Shocking as that order was, no one argued. Captain Takamora and Sergeant Cox left the bridge after saluting smartly.

"Meet me at the armory in ten minutes," Hohiro said. "I need to change into something more comfortable."

Sergeant Cox nodded, and left with the Oriental's added permission to head to Beta Squad's barracks to round up volunteers.

"Captain!" Lieutenant Satori practically shouted. Her sensor equipment began beeping and lit up like a Christmas tree. After taking a calming breath, she continued in a lower tone, "Hyperspace disturbance. Massive. Something big is getting ready to drop back into normal space."

"Confirmed," Lieutenant Denton added.

Through the transparent canopy they could see the gray/white cloud that formed just prior to a starship reverting back to normal space. The moment of reversion arrived in a massive streak of metal and running lights that coalesced in a gigantic warship.

Jo-jo had that sick feeling in the pit of her stomach when she saw the enhanced image on the right-hand control panel. The design was unmistakably a Horde battleship, but she waited for the identification, and the confirmation of her feelings of misgivings.

"Transponder identification confirmed," Satori said. "Horde battleship _Hoscar_."

"General Rongar," Jo-jo muttered.

"Great," Ace hissed, sourly. "And us with a possibly sabotaged hyperdrive."

"We could try a micro-jump just to put some distance between us and them," Ensign Comorov suggested.

"No," Jo-jo said flatly, shaking her head. "For all we know that would be enough to cripple the hyperdrive." After a momentary pause, she issued orders. "Ace. Veer away from that ship. Forget about the fighters, and open up the sub-light engines for all they are worth." Jo-jo turned swiveled to face the science officer. "Novina. Keep your sensors glued to that warship. If it so much as grazes us with a targeting sensor, I want to know about it."

Aye, captain," Novina replied, bending to her task.

Jo-jo let the chair rotate back to the forward position, crossed her legs, and folded her arms beneath her breasts. _C'mon, Hohiro,_ she thought angrily. _Give me my answers soon._

General Rongar stood on the _Hoscar_'s bridge. From here he could direct fleet actions, devise tactics, and direct the battle toward victory. Today, however, there would be no battles. The Fifth Fleet was elsewhere in the galaxy on training maneuvers and undergoing needed repairs.

Today, General Rongar would be forced into the distasteful role of diplomat. He would have to attempt to repair the damage caused by Commander Xandran's irresponsibility. Rongar hoped he could salvage something. The Horde needed the garrison as a cover to continue the attempts to find out if Queen Elmora really was building a private army. The known spies in her court were a diversion to allow the real ones to move more freely. All that could be undone, if Rongar couldn't appease the Phantosian queen.

On the main monitor, real space reasserted itself as the enormous warship exited hyperspace. _Hoscar_ drifted for almost a full minute as the residual static energies of hyperspace dissipated. Once the energies cleared up powerful sensors probed the immediate area.

"Contact off the starboard bow," the trooper manning the sensor station reported.

"Show me," Rongar ordered.

The image of a compact starship appeared on the main monitor. General Rongar recognized it immediately, though he waited on the trooper's confirmation. The man nodded when the robot issue its report. It was indeed the starship _Eternia_, and four Batmech fighters were pursuing it.

"Why doesn't she jump into hyperspace?" Rongar mused.

"Sensors show their hyperdrive is functional," the trooper reported.

Rongar continued to watch as the _Eternia_ fled out of the system. She did return fire, taking out two of the four pursuing fighters. It was at that point the general issued a recall order to the surviving ships. _Hoscar_'s presence in the Phantosian system was not to capture Captain Majourny and her ship, although Rongar admitted to wanting to pit himself against so resourceful a captain. _Hoscar_ was here to keep the peace with Queen Elmora.

General Rongar was quite capable of starting a war any time or place he chose. _Good hunting, captain,_ he thought as the _Eternia_ disappeared from the screen. _We'll meet again soon._

Lieutenant Denton stared at his targeting board, amazement etched on his face. "They broke off. Somehow I don't think it was because of us."

"They had us," Ace added, perplexed.

"Off hand I would say General Rongar isn't here for us," Jo-jo replied. "It doesn't matter either way. What does matter is finding out if there is more sabotage before we light off the hyperdrive."

Long minutes passed in silence as the starship sped further out of the Phantos system as fast as the sub-light drives could push it. Every minute spent in normal space was a minute lost getting to planet Eternia in time to help the people deployed there. Jo-jo knew she had to get back, though she had yet to examine what was on the data chip Rashir had given her. She wanted nothing more than to retreat to her quarters and view it, but ship and crew had to come first, for the moment.

Lieutenant Denton's security board beeped. "Captain. We have them," he replied curtly.

Captain Majourny left the bridge in Ace's capable hands while she went to deal with the troublemakers. Personally.

Planet Eternia

Commander Franik watched the main status boards with grudging approval. The robot forces under his command prepared for battle with a speed and efficiency few flesh and blood races could match. The firepower being readied for drop was enough to lay waste to any one kingdom on the face of Eternia with ridiculous ease. And yet, based on the reports recently submitted by General Rongar, Commander Franik thought it wasn't enough. Even with the heavy weapons being readied on the newly arrived corvettes, he just did not think it was enough.

One thing Franik knew was that the Earth starship would be returning, and so he began deploying his fleet as the warships finished launching their ground forces. Losses would be the heaviest among the destroyer-class warships, as well as the light and medium ground units, but overwhelming through strength of sheer numbers had always been the key to Horde victory in the past. After all, that's how He-man and She-ra had eventually fallen.

The communications panel chimed, indicating an incoming transmission. A moment later, the grim visage of King Hiss resolved in the holographic projector set into the panel.

"What is your progress, commander?" the leader of the Snake Men demanded.

"We are on schedule. The fleet will be deployed to trap the Earth starship, and the ground forces will be in place as promised," Commander Franik answered, biting down on his revulsion for this foul creature that was neither man nor reptile. "You will be able to launch your assault on Castle Grayskull tomorrow morning as planned."

"Very well," King Hiss replied. The image abruptly vanished.

Franik returned his attention to the main view screen depicting the massive drop operation of war machines into Eternia's atmosphere. He passed the time with tantalizing images of a pitched battle against the Earth people. A battle they would ultimately lose, but not before ending the reign of King Hiss.

_That would be a real tragedy, _Franik thought, amused.

Snake Mountain

The shocktroopers detailed to search Snake Mountain from top to bottom entered the throne room to deliver their report.

"My Lord, we have conducted an extensive search of the complex and have found nothing. No one left through any of the exits, and no one can remember seeing the Earth people since yesterday afternoon."

Skeletor waved a hand at them, and the robots departed. He quickly dismissed the idea that these armored warriors – calling themselves Guardians – had the ability to generate time/space portals. The Sorceress could have opened one, if she still lived, but that would require her knowing where Colonel Markson and his people had gone. Skeletor went so far as to interrogate King Randor, but it was a waste of time. While the king admitted to promising to help the colonel get back to Castle Grayskull in return for freeing Queen Marlena, Randor had never gotten the chance to plan anything.

Skeletor ruled out that arrogant, ancient recluse of a dragon hiding in Darksmoke Mountain. While Granamyr had once again taken an interest in the affairs of humans, thanks to He-man, he had withdrawn to his domain after He-man's fall over two years ago.

Likewise, the being known as the Faceless One living in seclusion in the ruins of Zalesia had not been heard from in the years since King Hiss conquered the planet. His power did not extend beyond the limits of his domain, anyway. The Faceless One could not physically leave his subterranean lair because of the curse placed upon him by the Elders.

That left only one likely suspect.

Lady Moria Vadorian, last of the Dereskian Queens.

The ruler of Snake Mountain rose from his throne and activated the magical dome set into the table top several paces away. An image of the Sands of Time appeared, and the viewpoint scrolled across the dome's interior surface. After a few moments, the view settled on an unremarkable patch of sand as desolate as the next. The magic eye suddenly plunged into the ground at Skeletor's command. A new view appeared slightly out of focus, as if one was looking at the underground chamber from the viewpoint of a fish.

"Moria!" No answer. "Moria!" Skeletor growled angrily.

More silence.

A bored telepathic voice invaded Skeletor's mind. _Really. Do you _honestly _expect an answer without so much as a 'please?'_

"Spare me your annoying civility and tell me what you have done with them," Skeletor demanded.

Moria sighed, and stepped up to the pool. "It is such a pity your mother never taught you any manners, Keldor. You might have turned out differently."

Skeletor was in no mood for Moria's sharp tongue. "Answer the question."

"Perhaps if you were more specific, I might consider granting you the answer."

Struggling to maintain his calm, Skeletor snarled, "Where are the outlanders who were in my care?"

Moria snorted, "Care? You have never cared for anyone, or anything, for that matter. I believe you once owned a fish that lasted for all of what– a week, if that."

Skeletor's image glowered from the pool. Despite the lack of skin, muscles, and eyes, it was clear he was not amused.

Dispensing with her usual mind games, Moria at last answered, "You _did_ seem disinclined to aid them in returning to their compatriots."

"So you thought you would help them out. Why?"

"My motives are none of your concern," Moria said, evenly.

"Where you are involved, Moria Vadorian, people should always be on alert," Skeletor sneered. "Bad things tend to happen to people when you are around."

"Then it would be in your best interest to keep your distance, like you always do," Moria replied. "And as such, you would do well to keep your distance, Keldor. Just as you always do. The Winds of change are fast approaching, and if you live among these Sands as long as I have done, you quickly learn that this leaves you with two alternatives, Keldor. You can either flow with the winds, or be dispersed by them."

Skeletor grumbled at Moria's continued use of his given name. "What's so important about that backwater planet and its people? They don't have a prayer of surviving a massive Horde invasion. If he so chooses, Horde Prime can crush them effortlessly."

Moria sighed. Skeletor's lack of vision was always vexing. A whimsical smile crept across Dereskian Queen's lips. "If anyone were to be well acquainted with the path of least resistance, Keldor, it would be you." She lifted a hand to still Skeletor's retort. "Change is nearing whether it suits you or not. What choice you make is entirely up to you, but be aware: Should you interfere with what I have planned, you may regret it, if I allow you to live that long."

The pool darkened abruptly at Moria's command, severing the magical link. The time had arrived for her guests to leave. Rising like a specter through the floor of the chamber where she had left them, Moria caught Guardian Hawk in the last stages of photographing the history depicted on the pillars.

Colonel Markson stepped forward to hear what she had to say.

"Colonel. It's time for you to return to your companions," Moria said, turning away to begin constructing the time/space portal.

As the portal began to form, Colonel Markson commented, wryly, "And I was just starting to enjoy your generous hospitality."

Moria arched an eyebrow as she finished the portal and then turned back to Markson. "All good things come to an end."

Castle Grayskull

The Sorceress watched from the shadows of the window in her private chambers high in the east tower as one Horde dropship after another dropped from the skies to ground somewhere in the plains southeast of the Graylands. Where ever Moria had gotten her information, it was proving to be correct. The attack would come tomorrow.

Lieutenant Garber was already seeing to the defense of the castle, actively setting up what the two of them had discussed the precious evening. Both hoped Colonel Markson would somehow find a way back to them, but they could not rely on that fleeting hope. Even with the colonel's platoon added to the defense, the situation was disturbingly similar to the assault on the ancient pyramid where the power armor was recovered months ago on some nameless moon.

While the warships would likely be dispersed to deal with the _Eternia_ – the Sorceress was certain Captain Majourny would return as fast as humanly possible – the ground force was easily one-third stronger than what they faced months ago. And the dropships were still coming!

The ghostly image the Falcon armor adopted, that of her former owner, appeared next to the Sorceress. "Stop worrying about the battle. Events will unfold as they should."

Sorceress turned from the window to face the lifelike image she now knew was a hologram. "How can you be so certain? Even I cannot see into the future."

"Have faith in your friends. They will make it here to defend the castle," Falcon replied, confidently. "Why are you so gloomy all of a sudden? Is it because Antone returned from the Quaedian kingdom without Adrian?" The Sorceress' lack on reply was answer enough. "Don't worry. He will be here. You know he will."

Sorceress nodded. "I know. I just wish I knew what it is we are supposed to do. Why were we chosen to recover the armor? What are we supposed to do with it? What place does it have in this galaxy?" She had posed these questions to the Spirit of Grayskull; the manifestation of the living force which had evolved slowly within the castle's ancient walls since the time of the first guardian, Veena. She received an answer that did nothing to answer any of her questions.

Of course, Falcon had no answers. Her knowledge did not extend beyond that which had been stored in her memory core at the time of entombment a thousand years ago. If nothing else, she was a sounding board for ideas and speculation. All of which was a moot point, if they were not successful in defending the castle against the coming assault.

A commotion deeper in the castle drew Sorceress' attention to the far side of the bottomless mote. A time/space portal had formed a short distance from the bridge leading up to the castle's jawbridge. She sensed soldiers setting up in the skull's eyes and nose, weapons trained on the shimmering portal.

Up on the top of the east tower, Lieutenant Garber stared at the portal through binoculars. The motorized lenses refocused as he scanned the area for hostiles. "No one pulls a trigger without my explicit orders," he said tersely into his helmet mic.

Eternity dragged on as the portal shimmered away, oblivious to the tense soldiers watching from the castle. Garber snapped his binoculars to the west face of the portal as something finally pushed through from the portal's other side. A soldier in very familiar combat armor stepped through. He was quickly followed by another. And another. And another. Soon, a cordon of soldiers surrounded the immediate area around the portal as the stream of armed and armored soldiers passing through continued. The last person stepped through, and the portal dissolved. He looked around for moment, then up at the imposing sight of Castle Grayskull.

Keeping his weapon pointed down, the man reached up to his helmet. In an instant, Colonel Markson's voice echoed across the tactical net. "You boys and girls going to roll out the welcome mat, or just stare at us from on high?"

Grinning, Lieutenant Garber replied, "Damn good to see you sir. We'll be down in a minute."

The Sorceress met him on the way down the spiral stairs to the grand staircase that branched off to the castle's skull face, the main floor, and the other residential quarters on the other side of the wall behind the throne pedestal. The Sorceress made a slight wave with one hand, and the jawbridge began to lower. Beta platoon assembled at the bridge while Alpha platoon, lead by Colonel Markson, came across.

Colonel Markson looked the Sorceress over from head to toe. "Well, you look pretty healthy for a dead woman," he said, grinning.

"The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated, although not by much," she replied, smiling slightly.

"So, what did we miss?" the colonel inquired, as Sergeant Apone ordered Alpha platoon inside.

As the jawbridge rose behind them, Lieutenant Garber brought the colonel up to speed on what had happened since they got separated rescuing not only the Sorceress and Adrian Cobretti, but the slaves as well. He and the Sorceress elaborated on the events of the past few days as if they were in one of General Hammond's debriefings. Nothing was left out except the more person side of the Sorceress' 'resurrection.' A side she still had to come to terms with.

Frost, Jake, and Anyssa talked of their encounter with Blade, and the battle in the Quaedian village. The Sorceress and Colonel Markson were disappointed to hear of King Carnivus' reluctance to join the fight once more despite the battle in his kingdom. Colonel Markson basically wrote off any help from the felines, though the Sorceress appeared to have a different opinion.

The roar of more Horde dropships passing by on their way to the rally point punctuated the need for more help. The news of Adrian Cobretti not returning with Frost's group did not go over well.

"What does he think he's doing? Making up his own orders as he goes along?" the colonel snarled.

"He felt he had to go through that portal. He did promise to be here when we need him," Frost defended.

The Sorceress painted the overall picture more clearly. "Jon, we do not have the forces necessary to repel what the Horde is deploying. They will either take this castle, or destroy it. I can stop King Hiss, but the army the Horde is fielding will be too great even for the Guardian armor."

"Well, it's a safe bet Skeletor won't help us," Jonathon sighed. That grabbed his audience's attention.

"You saw him?" Garber asked, somewhat surprised the colonel had lived to tell about the encounter.

"Oh, yeah. Helluva guy. He's arrogant, stuck-up, self-centered, and totally self-absorbed in keeping a low profile," Jon replied. Sorceress nodded agreement. "Now King Randor, there was a guy who could have helped, if he had the means."

The Sorceress could not hide her shock. "You saw him?"

Jonathon nodded. "He and Skeletor seemed to have formed an alliance, of a sort. The only time that robot army Skeletor is hiding out there obeys Randor is when Skeletor wills it."

"But you think he could be an ally when the time is right," Sorceress stated. "Why?"

Jon took a deep breath, saying, "Well, it seems the Queen is not as dead as the Horde thinks. She was one of those captives we liberated. We didn't know this until the day after we arrived at Snake Mountain, but once it became known she was still alive, I think King Randor would have done just about anything we asked. Now we'll never know."

"Why is that? I presume Skeletor allowed you to return," Sorceress replied, brow furrowed in confusion.

Jon shook his head. "No. Someone else got us out of Snake Mountain. She hid us in her domain, wherever that is, until it was time for us to return here to the castle."

"Her?" Sorceress asked cautiously, dreading the answer.

"She claims to be an acquaintance of yours. Moria Vadorian, something or other," Jon replied, waving a hand. He never did care for fancy names or titles. In his opinion, the more lofty the title, the more insignificant you really were. Although, in Moria's case, Jon grudgingly made an exception.

"She and I have had…dealings," Sorceress said, unable to hide her displeasure.

Sonya stepped forward and told of the pillars covered with pictograph histories. Sorceress was amazed Moria let Sonya leave with those images, especially after being caught in the act. Moria Vadorian never did anything that did not serve in her best interest. And going to the trouble of pointing out particular histories was even more out of character for her.

"She may serve her own interests," Jon was saying, interrupting the Sorceress' thoughts, "but she seemed quit interested in getting us here in time to defend the castle. Even if we can't win without help. Who knows, maybe Moria will show up and lend us a hand." Jon excused himself to go examine Lieutenant Garber's preparations.

_Moria help us? Not likely,_ Sorceress thought, darkly. She told Sonya she would look at the images when the battle was over, and they had time to go into the castle's main library to correlate what Sonya discovered.

Seeing she would rather be alone because of the revelation of Moria Vadorian's assistance, Sonya rounded up Brad and Jeromy and went off in search of Jake Rockwell. Frost lingered around for a few seconds, and then went to see how Ensign Wardman and Catherine O'Rourke were coming with cracking the encrypted files stolen from Palace Eternia's computer core.

_Why must I always have ulterior motives in your mind, Teela'Na?_ Moria's telepathic voice invaded the Sorceress' mind, with a touch of a whimsical edge.

_Because you _always _have ulterior motives,_ Sorceress replied, strolling aimlessly about without looking like that's what she was doing. _And why are you listening in on my thoughts?_

_I felt entitled; since it was I you were thinking of. And you are quite right, Te lynïa. For the most part, my motives are my own. As I have mentioned to you before, I have no desire to see Castle Grayskull fall into King Hiss' possession. And you know, the least you could do is say 'thank you' for getting your little friends back to you. Unscathed, I might add. After all, Skeletor certainly was not going to do anything. He no longer cares for anything, if he ever did,_ Moria explained at length.

_Thank you,_ Sorceress said, trying not to sound sour. She _was_ grateful Colonel Markson's platoon was back to bolster their defenses, for whatever real good it would do.

Moria's parting thoughts echoed in the Sorceress' mind. _You are welcome. I am certain you have much to do, so I shall leave you to your preparations. And…Te Lynia… If I were asked to help you, I might make an appearance, _she said, sounding more serious, and even a little uncomfortable, than the Sorceress had ever known the woman to be.

_She sounded sincere enough to me,_ Falcon replied.

Annoyance crept into the Sorceress' mental voice. _Eavesdropping?_

Falcon's tone turned whimsical. _It's hard not to given our link. Besides, listening to the two of you has been entertaining, at times._

_So that's all I am to you? Comedic relief?_

_Hardly,_ Falcon chastised. _Without you I'd be an immobile pile of metal, circuits and gears._

_That can be – _Sorceress stopped herself before she really got going. Saying instead, _I can't believe it. I'm arguing with a machine._

_That's_ living _machine, to you. Thank you,_ Falcon snorted. Her presence in the Sorceress's mind abruptly disappeared, mimicking walking off in a huff.

Smiling over her small victory, the Sorceress continued wandering about the castle trying to think of anything else that could be done to prevent the castle from falling to the Snake Men.

Starship _Eternia_

Harris and his friends stewed in the tiny brig while armed soldiers stood guard outside. Harris was the most boisterous of the bunch, shouting that their captors didn't have any evidence, it was all a set-up, or just spewing profanity. The soldiers Hohiro assigned to guard duty ignored the complaints and outright threats streaming through the hatch.

Captain Majourny took her time arriving, but when she did, the soldiers snapped to attention. She listened to Harris' drivel for a few moments then gestured for the guard nearest the hatch controls to open the cell door.

Harris stopped in mid-sentence and whirled as the hatch slid aside. He opened his mouth to start in on the captain directly, but Jo-jo cut him off.

"Shut up!" Jo-jo snarled. "You've had your say. Now it's my turn. What have you done to my ship?"

Harris snarled back, "Forget it, Majourny. You can't prove anything."

"Yes, I can," Jo-jo shot back. "After our first mission this ship needed a lot of repairs. A number of modifications were also made. Things there weren't time for before we launched. Sensors were installed on panels accessing critical systems components. The access panel removed to sabotage the quad gun power couplings is one of those."

"You can fabricate that easily enough," Harris grumbled.

"The base repairs logs can independently verify that. Now, answer my question."

The other members of Harris' group started in on the captain about wrongful prosecution, illegal detainment, and anything else they could think of. Jo-jo cut them off, saying they were at war and that 'accidents' sometimes happen. They could only be tried for sabotage, treason, and attempted murder _if_ she brought them back to Earth. If Harris and company became casualties of battle against Horde forces, and the bodies were buried in space, who would argue?

As that possible reality set in, arguments broke out among the prisoners. Mainly, they believed Captain Majourny could, and would, do just that, and they tried to convince Harris to tell Jo-jo what she wanted to know. Shannon, the girl who had sabotaged the quad guns, was the most vocal to that end. Harris stubbornly stood firm in his refusal to give up any information.

"Enough of this," Jo-jo hissed.

Captain Majourny moved like lightning, stepping into the cell, grabbing Harris by the collar, and dragging him bodily outside. The soldier stationed by the hatch slammed it closed before the other prisoners could react. Sergeant Cox and Captain Takamora waited at the end of the short corridor. They fell in step behind the captain as she dragged Harris into the intersecting corridor and turned left. Another short march followed by a sharp right turn brought them to their destination. Sergeant Cox snaked past Jo-jo and her struggling charge to hit a switch on a control panel to the right of another sturdy hatch. The barrier snapped aside, Jo-jo threw Harris inside, and punched the button to close the hatch.

Lights came on immediately, and Jo-jo stared emotionlessly through the reinforced view port. Harris looked around his new cell and instantly realized it was not a cell at all. It was one of _Eternia_'s numerous airlocks! Fear crept into the man's eyes as he turned his attention to the inner hatch.

Captain Majourny thumbed the intercom switch. "No more games, Harris. I've been pursued, shot at, spent a cold night in an alien forest eating nuts and berries. My ship has been attacked, damaged, and sabotaged. On top of all that, it's that time of the month and I'm feeling _really_ cranky. So stop screwing around and tell me what systems have been damaged by you and your people."

Hohiro and Sergeant Cox snickered at Jo-jo's comment about that time of the month despite their attempts to keep straight faces. They sobered up immediately when she punched the button initiating the cycle evacuating all the air from the lock. That had not been part of the plan.

"That hissing sound you hear is the air leaving the chamber. You have thirty seconds to tell me what you did to my ship, or make peace with your maker," Captain Majourny pronounced without a trace of remorse.

Harris continued to believe Jo-jo was bluffing, and said so. Jo-jo calmly informed him that if he chose to suffocate, she would go back to the brig to get the next person. She would continue throwing his cronies one by one into the airlock until she got what she wanted, or all of their bodies were jettisoned into space. Either way, Captain Majourny wins.

Harris tried to remain on his feet as the oxygen continued to be sucked away, but he grew light-headed and his knees eventually buckled. Lying on the deck gasping, Harris came to the sudden realization he wasn't all that he thought he was. Harris had only been kidding himself into believing how important he was in the grand scheme of life. In reality, he was nothing more than an expendable tool to use and then discard when that usefulness came to an end.

Jo-jo heard the faint tapping on the hatch near the bottom and glanced at the panel. She waited until the counter reached five seconds, stopped the cycle, and opened the hatch. Fresh oxygen blew like a cleansing freeze into the airlock. Harris had never tasted anything so good in all his miserable life.

Crouching by the panting man, Jo-jo growled, "Talk."

Almost three hours had passed since Harris laid out the details of the extensive sabotage. Chief Engineer Santana had teams running around the ship fixing the damage as quickly as possible. The most chilling aspect had been Santana's preliminary evaluation. All the damaged systems were unrelated, but the cascade power surge they had been triggered to initiate would have flowed to those systems with the highest power usage; weapons, shields, and engines. Lieutenant Santana said the hyperdrive would have taken the brunt of the surge and would have been irreparably damaged. This would have taken place minutes after going into hyperspace. The effect would have left the _Eternia_ stranded lightyears from any civilized star system where they could replace a literally slagged hyperdrive.

After leaving the prisoners to Lieutenant Denton and the repairs to Lieutenant Santana, Jo-jo retreated to her quarters to update the ship's log, and to finally view the data chip Rashir had given her.

The personal log reflected her sole responsibility for the incident at the airlock to protect both Sergeant Cox and Captain Takamora, both of whom had no idea what she had intended to do as a last resort.

With the official and personal logs updated, Jo-jo turned her attention to the data chip. It wasn't very lengthy, but it did contain information as chilling as the extent of the sabotage had been. Her eyes kept drifting back to the confirmation of the Sorceress' death. The scene in Queen Elmora's throne room replayed once more in her mind. Despite the apparent validity of the data, Jo-jo sided with Hohiro in disbelieving it. At least not until she saw the Sorceress' lifeless body with her own eyes.

Queen Elmora's spies could be wrong. If Colonel Markson had found a way to save her, keeping it a secret would be a must. Therefore, the added warning of the impending assault against Castle Grayskull was nothing more than King Hiss' attempt to finally get inside that ancient building, now that the magical seals were down.

They had to get back to Eternia to help defend the castle. The Horde forces stationed there were one-third larger than what they faced when retrieving the armor. Only then the Guardian Force had been at half strength. Now, half of that full strength was lightyears away from doing any good. And they couldn't make a move without being sure the ship could make it there in one piece.

The intercom buzzed breaking Jo-jo's train of thought. She sat up in her chair and tapped a control panel set into the desktop.

"Captain Majourny," Jo-jo replied, tense.

"Ace, Captain. Report from Chief Engineer Santana. All repairs are complete. _Eternia_ is now one-hundred percent ready," Ace reported.

Jo-jo's heart leapt at the news. Now she prayed they would arrive in time. She ordered, "Set course for Eternia. Maximum speed!"


	18. Ch 17

Seventeen

Planet Eternia

Eternian Star System

10 June 2017

There were few events in Eternia's history that caused beings to sit up and take notice. The first had been Hordak's initial invasion that ended the reign of King Grayskull. The second had been the foretold coming of He-man. The third had been the return of He-man, and his subsequent fall to an overwhelming Horde force. This day would see another such event.

Dawn graced the lands of Eternia as it had every day since the solar system had cooled and given birth to life. This day, however, would not be like those previous.

Skeletor watched from his throne room in Snake Mountain. King Randor and Queen Marlena were also present, though the queen was less than thrilled. She chastised Skeletor for not sending a portion of his robot army to assist in the defense of Castle Grayskull. Skeletor flatly told her to keep quiet; otherwise she would not be allowed to watch the coming confrontation.

Granamyr and Kodec Ungor observed from Darksmoke Mountain. Kodec's coming and going was such that no one had noticed her conspicuous absence. Off to one side in the main hall lay Adrian Cobretti. When the time was right, Granamyr would awaken Adrian from the recuperative sleep healing his damaged brain. The armor had done a pretty effective job of reversing the damage; however, Adrian had been forced to fight before the repairs could cement themselves. Using his morphing abilities started the deterioration resulting from the mind sifter to re-ignite. Granamyr was amazed at how easy it had been to draw the man to his mountain to heal him. Kodec suggested Adrian must have known on some instinctive level. Soon, Adrian would awaken, and Granamyr would send him to Castle Grayskull when he was needed the most.

In the ruins of Zalesia, the Faceless One took note of events, and decided to watch. He did not care much for the world outside his domain after the Elders robbed him of his features and exiled him to this place. He was not an evil person like Skeletor, more misguided than anything else. Perhaps now was the time when he might find a way to redeem himself and end this punishment.

Moria Vadorian watched from her sanctuary, surprisingly anxious. She knew the Sorceress would not ask her for help unless there was no other alternative, and that suited Moria perfectly. While she was adamant that Castle Grayskull remain out of King Hiss' possession, she was equally concerned for her daughter, Evil-Lyn. There were several reasons preventing Moria from taking a direct part in the battle and protect her daughter from harm, despite her wishes otherwise. The first was that King Hiss would see such interference as allying herself with the Earth people. Second, Moria and Evil-Lyn vowed to stay out of one another's affairs. Thus, Evil-Lyn was forced to fend for herself.

The last group observing the coming battle was the Elders. Kodec Ungor's confidant, Corwin, watched the gathering of ancient beings as surreptitiously as possible. Most of the Elders appeared to be surprised by the near miraculous resurrection of the Sorceress of Grayskull. A few of them were not so surprised. Corwin suspected, as did Kodec, that some of the ancient beings knew how the Sorceress contracted the deadly degenerative disease. Corwin was beginning to think several may have even had a hand in engineering it before the plan was put into action to leave the starship _Eternia_ and its lone passenger in orbit behind Earth's moon two years ago. All of which was mere speculation bordering on unthinkable flights of fantasy.

All eyes were on Castle Grayskull and its tiny knot of valiant defenders. The chessboard was set. The opponents – Elders and Horde Prime – were ready. All that remained was to make the opening move.

Very few soldiers of Colonel Markson's command remained inside Castle Grayskull. More had been deployed into the Evergreen Forest to hit the enemy from the flank or behind as the opportunities arose. Hit-and-run tactics was all that would really work against a force as big as the one grounded southeast of the Graylands. Scouts reported seeing serious firepower grinding its way across the barren lands toward the castle. Even with the formidable firepower of one APC, the War Machine, and two heavily armed dropships, any damage done to that army of Horde heavy weapons would be superfluous at best.

Only Frost, Anyssa, Dhalon, and Colonel Markson remained in the castle with the Sorceress, aside from Andre Wardman, Private Gomez, and Catherine O'Rourke stationed up on the east tower. O'Rourke's team would act as surveillance for what the enemy did, and use javelin missiles to keep the Horde fighters at bay. Jon did not like the Sorceress' plan for dealing directly with King Hiss, but he wasn't a creature of magic like her, so he had to have faith that she knew what she was doing.

All they could really do was hold out long enough for the _Eternia_ to arrive with reinforcements. And hope the Horde didn't decide to level the castle after they discovered how costly it was going to be to take it intact.

With all preparations complete, the Guardian Force settled in to wait for King Hiss and his Horde allies to arrive.

King Hiss rode in a command carrier trundling along behind the lines of foot soldiers leading the way. Scout drones ranged ahead looking for enemy hiding places. Medium and heavy drones trudged along, backed up by scores of Mark One troopers and the black, humanoid-looking shocktroopers. Next came the assault carriers bringing more troopers and the three scores of Snake Men available for the attack. Command carriers, including Hiss' own, were at the center of the massive formation with the heavy artillery bringing up the rear.

The front lines were intended to clear the way for Hiss and his Snake Men to get to Castle Grayskull, where Hiss would use his powerful magic to bring down the jawbridge. The Snake Men would deal with any Earthers foolish enough to remain inside to defend the castle while King Hiss dealt with the Sorceress. Given the report by Evil-Lyn and Blade about the battle in the Quaedian village, Hiss began to suspect the Sorceress might just have survived her ailment and his deadly venom. If so, he would make short work of her.

Once the castle was firmly in his control, the robot forces would spread out to hunt down and destroy the remaining Earth people. Commander Franik would deal with the _Eternia_ when it returned, and this foolish rebellion would come to an end.

_So they think our time is over?_ King Hiss mused. _We shall soon see whose time has come to an end._

Teela stood partially exposed through the top hatch, scanning the terrain ahead with electric binoculars. Nothing moved out there except their forces, and yet, she felt a trap was ready to be sprung at the proper moment. If these outlanders were nothing else, they had proven themselves to be very unpredictable. Maybe that was the predictable part about them. Evil-Lyn was certainly in a mood because of their failure in the Quaedian village. It pleased her to no end, though she was careful not to show it. Teela also wondered what had become of her mother. Despite still holding on to some residual anger over the Sorceress hiding Teela's true heritage from her, she had begun to understand the need for it of late. If Hiss had known of their blood relationship, he would have killed the Sorceress immediately. Teela would probably have been next because he would never be certain she wouldn't try to incite a rebellion against him.

If he only knew the truth.

General Rattlor was itching for a rematch with the changeling human. He needed to destroy the Earther lest any of Hiss' minions get ideas about challenging Rattlor to become the new general of King Hiss' army. Rattlor had already dispensed with four would-be idealist replacements, and more were starting to crop up. He had to prove he was still the strongest of the Snake Men next to King Hiss.

King Hiss began to think the enemy did not have any traps to spring before the robot forces drew within range of the castle when the world exploded amid the lines of troopers and drones.

"Frost," Colonel Markson called, gesturing to the computer terminals set up below the massive magical window.

Frost and Anyssa darted to the computers and waited for the colonel's signal. Anyssa nodded after a quick lesson on how to switch the eighteen remote sentry guns from SAFE to ARMED. In their last battle, the Guardian Force had only had about eight guns. Retrofits to the troop compartments in the dropships turned them into storage spaces, which were then crammed with gear, ammo, rations, and anything else they might need. One dozen more units had been transported to complement the six from the APC.

All the units had been set up in a skirmish line across the enemy's line of march. All were tucked into carefully disguised foxholes that were hard to spot until the guns began firing. They would be even harder to hit because Horde targeting software was not designed to deal with small targets. Horde Prime evidently considered small guns, soldiers, and one-man fighters to be of little threat. These forces were about to find out what a fatal error that rationale really was.

Frost and Anyssa set the computers so that, at the colonel's command, a tap of the ENTER key will switch the sentries from SAFE to ARMED, and unleash a firestorm into the teeth of the enemy force.

The Sorceress switched to a bird's eye view so Jon could better judge the distance between the sentries and the lead elements of King Hiss' army. Jon raised his left arm as the distance steadily shrank. Frost and Anyssa waited, anxiously anticipating the drop of that hand.

Finally, the distance closed to killing range, and Colonel Markson snapped his arm downward. Anyssa and Frost were halfway across their respective banks of terminals before that arm traveled half the distance down to the colonel's side.

Out on the battlefield, the result was much more spectacular. Scores of troopers blew apart before anyone knew the guns were there. The sounds of exploding robots warred with the staccato hammering from the remote sentries. Withering fire from eighteen guns equipped with dual five-hundred round canisters tracked back and forth in overlapping fields of fire. Textbook setup, but sometimes the simple things worked the best.

A full minute passed before the better protected drones located the source of the enemy barrage, and began answering in kind with their deadly railguns. White vapor trails lanced out at the unseen enemy only to strike solid rock. The guns had been carefully placed for maximum protection while still allowing for unobstructed fire lanes. Several open corridors appeared as ammo canisters ran dry. Smoke drifting off tracking barrels betrayed hidden emplacements, and converging drone fire blasted them into scrap.

Teela and several robot commanders scoured the terrain with binoculars, directing the return fire. Smoke drifting up from overheated gun barrels gave away those sentries still hammering the troopers. More colorful explosions dotted the landscape as the remaining sentries were taken out with ammo canisters still containing explosive rounds, adding fuel to the detonations.

Surviving troopers and drones scanned the area for more threats, but found none. King Hiss ordered the advance to resume. If there were more traps awaiting them, the only way to discover them would be to spring them. After all, robots were expendable. Snake Men were not. At least not until their numbers increased to the same level they were at centuries ago.

Colonel Markson stoically watched the advance resume. The Sorceress stood back, arms crossed, feather cape wrapped around her shapely form. She marveled at his calm demeanor and keen eye for controlling the battle, though this was nothing compared to what was to come. The modified control of the gigantic magical screen worked as she designed it to so that the colonel could instantly receive the view he wanted without waiting on her to provide it.

So far things were progressing pretty much the way they had expected. It would be tricky implementing the next part of the plan without blatantly showing the trap for what it was.

"Claymores," Colonel Markson ordered evenly.

Hidden troops mashed clappers, igniting the lethal shaped charges. Shrapnel exploded into the front lines as the shaped charges blasted ball bearings into deadly corridors. Only a few troopers fell to the new attack. Most were damaged to varying degrees. The drones caught in the blasts suffered nothing more than superficial damage to their thick armor.

"That's it. Everyone take cover until the next phase starts," Jon ordered. He turned to the Sorceress. "I sure hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I," she answered.

Jon waved Anyssa and Frost over to the spot of concealment previously picked out. Dhalon was already hidden somewhere near the passage to the jawbridge. The Sorceress turned and unhurriedly strode to the towering structure capped with the throne set in a skull-like face. There was plenty of time, so the Sorceress took her time climbing the steps. The act was as much a show of confidence to her companions as it was an attempt to soothe her nerves.

_How did I let you talk me into this?_ Sorceress asked Falcon.

_After showing you how powerful you've become, and how we can work together to defeat Hiss, _Falcon responded with a touch of sarcasm, _it took about ten seconds to talk you into this._

Falcon's suggestion had been in line with the Sorceress' reasoning. If Hiss wanted the castle so badly, let him in. Then show him the true power of a Guardian. It was a good plan. Bold. Unexpected. Hiss would expect her to be a quick defeat. The Leader of the Snake Men would soon find out just how much of a 'bad' influence her new friends have been.

Battle drones and Mark I troopers fanned out to secure the perimeter while the Snake Men dismounted from the assault carriers and cautiously approached the stone ramp leading up to the closed jawbridge. King Hiss and Evil-Lyn passed under the twin stone arches, keeping a weary eye out for sudden ambush.

General Rattlor, Kobra Khan, and Tung Lasher stood guard at the base of the ramp scanning the tree line. They shifted about, ill at ease waiting for the hammer to fall. The enemy lay in wait for the right moment to strike in force. Rattlor knew it. Felt it.

King Hiss, Evil-Lyn at his side, raised his staff and called forth his considerable power to pull down the jawbridge. Hiss felt the resistance almost immediately. Someone with considerable magical power was keeping the bridge closed. The jawbridge creaked and groaned as opposing magical forces acted upon it in powerful game of tug-o-war. King Hiss managed to ply the barrier open several feet before an unexpected surge of energy from within the castle slammed it shut.

Evil-Lyn looked uncomfortable at the thought of someone as powerful as King Hiss waiting inside the castle resisting them. She thought of offering her assistance in pulling the bridge down, and then thought better of it. If King Hiss wanted her help, he would say so. Her job was to keep any defenders within at bay while King Hiss sought out the awesome power residing deep within the castle's ancient walls.

Snarling, King Hiss launched a renewed attack. Five dark green wisps exploded from the staff clutched in his left hand. The rope-like wisps solidified somewhat into snakes with glowing yellow eyes. Three tendrils sank fangs deep into the wooden barrier. Two wound themselves around the iron cross bar. King Hiss curled his fist toward his body. The action translated to the energy ropes attached to the jawbridge. The bridge creaked and groaned once more only louder as King Hiss poured his might into the tendrils.

Sitting upon her throne, the Sorceress leaned back with her eyes closed and right hand raised palm up. The fingers of that hand curled as if intending to form a fist. The action translated the power at her command into the action of keeping the jawbridge shut. Curling the fingers caused the bridge to bang shut from time to time. Relaxing the fingers let the bridge open. She was amazed at how effortless this really was. In the past, the Sorceress would have been hard pressed to keep the bridge closed for a minute or two against Skeletor's magical might. King Hiss should have had the bridge down in seconds, and yet, augmented by the Falcon armor, the Sorceress _could_ have kept it closed indefinitely.

Evil-Lyn was pleased to see the bridge finally come down. It struck the ramp solidly vibrating the entire structure. King Hiss was content to let Evil-Lyn lead the way. If an ambush awaited them, she would be the first target. Nothing of the sort waited, however, as the pair strode through the short passage emerging in the throne chamber. It did not take them long to spot the slumped figure up on the throne.

King Hiss sensed someone behind him, and turned his head to regard Colonel Markson and his companions. Evil-Lyn slipped away, giving the Snake Man room to fight, if he was pressed.

Everyone's attention was drawn back to the throne when the Sorceress spoke. "They are present to ensure a fair fight, King Hiss."

"So, you survived after all," the reptile stated flatly.

"No. I didn't. But I do have you to thank for my present condition. My rebirth, as it were," the Sorceress said in the same quiet tone she had used earlier. She must have been using magic to cast her voice clearly without having to enunciate. "It's because of you we are at this crossroad. Because of you I was finally struckstuck down."

The staff in King Hiss' left hand elongated to a full five feet, the snake carving curled around it lengthened to match. "Then you shall be struckstuck down again!"

The globe of raw magical power formed and launched instantly from the end of the snake staff. It crossed the distance to the throne in the blink of an eye and exploded in a blinding flash of light and concussive sound. Smoke billowed and radiated outward from the impact point obscuring the upper one-third of the platform.

Colonel Markson, Frost, and Anyssa tensed as the smoke roiled around the top of the platform. Their initial reaction was to attack King Hiss, but the Sorceress had specifically warned against such foolhardiness.

The Sorceress' voice drifted out of the slowly dissipating smoke cloud. "Castle Grayskull shall not be yours this day, King Hiss." The woman walked leisurely out of the cloud down the steps, wispy tails clinging futilely to her clothes.

King Hiss did not show his surprise at the apparent power she possessed. A lesser being would have perished in the attack. "And how do you propose to stop me from taking the castle's secrets?"

"Thanks to you, I have become more powerful than you can possibly imagine," the Sorceress replied. Sorceress continued down the stairs, her costume transformed into the black and gray 'uniform' for the Guardians. That lasted but a moment when the armor began to take shape, first as the segmented body armor similar to that worn by Colonel Markson, then fully becoming the eight foot tall suit of power armor as she reached the flagstone floor.

Every living creature of magic possessed a second sight – sometimes called 'magic sight' - which allowed one to see the pale white aura surrounding wizards, sorcerers, sorceresses, witches, and the like. King Hiss switched to that sight to verify the truth of the Sorceress' proclamation. He saw only the brightness he had seen many times in the past, a formidable power level to be sure, but not one that could match his. Evil-Lyn's shone about as brightly the only time King Hiss had used his magic sight on her.

Some of the more powerful creatures could alter that glow so another would see only what their adversary was meant to see. King Hiss discounted this possibility because he had seen nothing to suggest she was doing anything more than boasting. That in and of itself was interesting since the Sorceress was never prone to boasting.

A panel on the Sorceress' left forearm dropped in and slid back revealing a compact white cylinder. She plucked the devised from the storage compartment, which closed up, and activated it. Rods extended out from either end to an overall length of five feet. The top end tapped outward beneath a globe that expanded until it sprouted wings and a head reminiscent of a falcon.

"Then I shall see to it your demise becomes more permanent," the ruler of the Snake Men hissed, and launched himself at his foe.

Colonel Markson ignored the blinding flash from the collision of power staffs. Whoever was in command outside sent a score of shocktroopers storming the castle's entrance. Robots rounded the corner as they emerged from the corridor before the trio could get into position to repel the invaders. A torrent of laser fire drove them back into cover among the half-moon shaped structure and support columns adjacent to the grand staircase. While the structure was suitable for cover, it left them with nowhere to run.

"We're pinned down," Anyssa observed dryly.

"We can't shoot around corners," Colonel Markson replied.

"I can," Anyssa declared, snatching an arrow from the quiver slung across her back. A small red light began flashing at the touch of a concealed stud.

Anyssa pulled the compact bow from its carry case, a squeeze of the control lever built into the handle started the amazing unfolding. Colonel Markson whistled at the sight, impressed. Frost handed his pulse rifle to the colonel, drew the pistol in a shoulder rig under his right arm, and yanked a flash/bang grenade from a D ring on his chest plate with the right hand. The safety pin and attachment ring pulled out of the arming lever Frost maintained a death grip on. Ready for action, Frost looked up and winked at Anyssa, who nodded curtly.

While flash/bang grenades were designed simply to temporarily blind and deafen living beings, no one was sure how they would work against a robot's audio and visual sensors. They were about to find out as Frost dove from cover hurling the grenade as close to the entry corridor as he could. He landed hard on his right side, bracing the pistol with both hands, and snapped off rounds at the shocktroopers to hold them in place.

The grenade exploded with the desired effects. The robots paused while their systems adjusted to the new tactic. Anyssa stepped out, drew back the bowstring, and took aim at the first shocktrooper, who was recovering and zeroing in on Frost. The bowstring sang with its release, firing the arrow across the chamber. The balance of the arrowhead was such that it lazily spun counter-clockwise. This in turn allowed Anyssa to ricochet the Etherium arrow off the lead trooper's chest to impale another in the passage.

The surprised shocktrooper plucked the offensive shaft from its chest and stared at it curiously. The blinking light quickened as the sensor head counted down to zero. The explosion flung the lead robot Frost had been shooting at more than a dozen feet to land in a smoking, sparking ruin. Several more, including the one holding the arrow, were blown into the robot equivalent of oblivion.

Anyssa stowed the bow while Frost scrambled to his feet; holstering the pistol and taking back his rifle. He and Colonel Markson chased after the warrior woman as she dashed to assist Dhalon, who had emerged from his hiding place to cut down shocktroopers with a war cry on his lips and a single-bladed axe in each fist. Anyssa reached for the curved short swords sheathed behind her shoulders. Together, she and the pint-sized Quaedian tore into the center of the charging mass of robots. Frost and Markson arrived to begin firing into the flanks. Each person had a designated corridor of responsibility to hold off the invaders.

The tactic was simple and worked better than Jon hoped, even when he and Frost had to pause long enough to eject a spent magazine and replace it with a fresh one. Both men performed the reload from feel alone due to many years of training. Never once did they divert their eyes from the invading shocktroopers, or allow the barrel of their rifles to dip.

It didn't take long to clear the corridor and jawbridge. Just a few minutes, though the four would have sworn it had taken longer. The remaining shock troops pulled back to defensive positions on and around the ramp. Colonel Markson called a ceasefire to take stock of their new situation.

"What are they waiting for?" Dhalon growled eager to get back into the fight.

Anyssa pointed, declaring, "That."

Heavy battle drones – models equipped with a weapons pod on each arm – took up positions from which they could fire on the castle's entrance. They were backed up by medium-class drones and their single weapons pods. Shocktroopers and Mark I troopers took aim with their laser rifles. The total firepower was much more then the few defenders in the castle could hope to return in kind.

"Oh, hell!" Colonel Markson hissed.

The group reflexively ducked as railguns and laser rifles opened fire. Nothing got through, however. To Colonel Markson's astonishment, some kind of force field had been erected across the opening. The energy field rippled with each impact like a stone being thrown into the calm waters of a pond.

"Get to the sides," Jon ordered unnecessarily, as his companions already did so.

Frost retrieved his sniper rifle and precious limited supply of Etherium rounds from the nook Dhalon had hidden in. "That shield won't last long under such a heavy bombardment," he replied, loading the sniper rifle.

"What do we do now?" Anyssa asked. "The Sorceress told us to stay out of her fight with King Hiss."

Colonel Markson spoke urgently into his boom mike. Since there was nothing else to do but fight, Jon released his remaining forces to engage the enemy. If nothing else, they could take as many robots with them before the end.

Jake Rockwell sat impatiently in the aft seat of the War Machine. Waiting was not something Jake could endure for very long when there was a battle to be fought. The closer the enemy ground force drew to the castle, the worst Jake's itch became.

War Machine was powered down to minimize detection. The wings were deployed with the first salvo of plasma-tipped Hellfire missiles ready to fly on both wing mounts.

The faint sounds of battle could be heard without the TAC net as waves of shocktroopers stormed the castle. While Jake couldn't see much, the noise over the TAC net coupled with the deployment of the drones, troopers and other vehicles hinted to a very grim fight ahead.

What the defenders in and on the castle could not see was the second force slowly closing in from the southeast. Jake couldn't get an accurate read of numbers or types because of his armor's limited sensors, but what he could see wasn't encouraging.

Suddenly, Colonel Markson's voice cut through the chatter. He released the platoons and Guardians to pick their targets and attack at will.

Jake wasted no time powering up. A squeeze of the red trigger on the joystick sent all sixteen missiles roaring into the sky. War Machine's targeting system could only track and fire on ten independent targets. Since the power armor easily interfaced with Earth technology, Gatling Arm had no such limitations, took over fire control and made sure all sixteen missiles hit their assigned targets.

War Machine was on the move the moment the missile racks emptied. Plasma globes rippled along the enemy's right flank as Jake slid into the next predetermined firing position. A second salvo roared into the sky, raining down on the ravaged right flank less than sixty seconds after the first bombardment struck.

Jake closed the distance while Gatling Arm took charge of the nose cannon, and deployed the laser guns from the compartments above the wings, the top-mounted unit. The arrangement had been simple: Jake operated the wing armaments and drove the vehicle, and Gatling Arm did the targeting and firing of the laser weaponry.

Lieutenant Garber added to the enemy's confusion with a blistering attack from among the twisted, knurled trees of the Evergreen Forest. The platoons had been broken up into four-man fire teams to hit the enemy and fade away to a new position.

When rocket-propelled grenades soared out of the forest into the enemy's left flank, Teela decided it was time to break up the massive clump of targets the assault force presented. She dispatched fifteen tanks to find and destroy the wheeled machine attacking from the north. Several of the smaller artillery pieces were within range, so Teela added them to the hunt.

Blade protested Teela's order to evacuate all transport, command, and assault carriers and assault the castle on foot, if necessary. That is, until the carrier immediately to their left exploded from multiple grenade hits spraying lethal shrapnel everywhere. Their vehicle caught fire from the fiery deaths of other vehicles around them. Blade and Beast Man beat a hasty exit from the command carrier, nearly running Teela over in the process. Teela was the last to clear the vehicle, flinging herself to the ground and covering her head with her arms as the command carrier's overheated magazines detonated.

Guardians Hawk and Blitzkrieg stepped boldly from the forest, followed closely by Claw. And several fire teams. Blitzkrieg tossed one of his laser rifles to Hawk, who had no ranged weapon of her own. Deftly, she caught the weapon and slapped it to her right thigh where a magnetic field held it in place.

A surviving assault carrier disgorged its cargo of robots troops and Snake Men, then tore off in a spray of rubble straight at Hawk. Reaching over her right shoulder, Hawk pulled the beam staff from its mount set between the shoulders and activated it. A brilliant, curved, green blade sprang from the far end.

Hawk stood her ground as the wheeled vehicle churned up loose rock, trying to run the Guardian down. At the last possible moment, the Hawk dove to her right into a shoulder roll and came up in a kneeling position; beam staff braced to rip into the side of the charging Horde machine. As the massive vehicle roared past, its momentum did all the work of letting the green energy blade tearing through wheel rims and hull. Shattered and melted chunks of armor flew outward from the point of attack.

The wounded carrier slewed sideways as the robot pilot fought the controls, keeping the mangled left side toward the warrior who had stood her ground. Hawk stood, dropped her right hand to grip the rifle, and spun to track the skidding Horde machine. Ravaged wheel rims dug into the loose shale, kicked the twenty-ton vehicle into a rollover. Hawk lined up on the carrier's vulnerable belly without the aid of the rifle's built-in laser sight as it crashed onto its right side. A flip of the selector switch to rapid fire and a steady squeeze of the hair-trigger sent a lethal hail of red darts stabbing through thin belly armor into the vulnerable power plant.

Laser bolts chewed away armor plate beneath the power core before blasting into the core itself. The doomed carrier erupted in a spectacular, roiling, flames-laced smoke cloud and sizzling shrapnel. Hawk turned away from the destruction to face the oncoming enemy force, unmindful of the fragments bouncing off her exterior.

Teela huddled as close to the ground as she could without becoming a part of it. She tried to keep as low a profile as possible, and furiously thought about how she was going to get a handle on the situation. A short distance away, Blade rose from the cover of a rock outcropping to fire ineffectually on Guardian Hawk. Pulse rifle-fire drove him back into hiding.

The Guardians regrouped and renewed their attack. Jake provided strafing fire from the enemy's right while Alpha and Beta platoons continued to strike from the left.

Horde fighters finally got into the fight by dropping bombs into the forest and riddling the tree line with laser bursts. None of it came close to hitting the elusive Earth warriors, but bomb runs did give them something to think about.

Like releasing their dropships for fighter suppression.

Air-to-air missiles exploded three Horde fighters before the robot pilots had a clue that they were in danger. Javelin missiles launched by O'Rourke and Wardman from atop Castle Grayskull's eastern tower downed two more fighters.

As bizarre as it was, the Guardian Force had the overwhelming Horde army confused and off balance. The odds were still against them, however, for it would only take one resourceful commander to take charge of the situation, pull the scattered elements together, and counterattack.

Teela was one such person.

Despite the fact that Teela was human, and a female, even the Snake Men heeded her rallying cries. Tanks closed in on the lone attacker to the north, under cover of intense artillery bombardment. Although several more tanks were lost, the enemy was forced to break off his attack and run for safety. Leaving that one to the Horde, Teela turned her attention to the ravaged left flank.

Pulse rifle bursts from the forest had slackened considerably without any visible cause. That changed when triumphant Snake Men began herding captured Earth warriors from the Evergreen Forest in groups. Some looked to have suffered considerable punishment at the hands of the reptiles. However, while the humans were being rounded up, the defenders atop the castle's eastern tower continued to shoot down Batmech fighters. The alien craft still prowled the skies, and the Guardians were certainly not about to surrender.

Rising from cover, Teela, Blade, and Tung Lasher cautiously approached the three Guardians, who were struckstuck with indecision.

Jake ran for his life as explosions rippled around him. Several lucky shots from the pursuing tanks struck glancing blows to the War Machine's armor, but they were starting to get the range despite his evasive maneuvers. A concentrated volley from the closest tanks and mobile artillery guns blasted the War Machine off it wheels and sent it rolling across the arid ground. It finally came to rest on its wheels facing east, battered and badly damaged.

Head ringing from bouncing off the hatch window several times, Jake somehow managed to pop the latches and forced the canopy hatch open. Releasing the safety harness, Jake awkwardly climbed out of the cockpit and tumbled unceremoniously to the ground.

Gatling Arm spoke urgently in Jake's mind, trying to get him to shake off the dizziness before the enemy arrived to capture or kill him. Still dazed, Jake dimly heard his armor's urgent, and sometimes indignant, commands to touch the six-pointed amulet and activate the transformation. Somehow he managed it through the fog of disorientation and pain.

Horde tanks ground to a halt at near point-blank range to finish off Jake and the War Machine. What they found was Gatling Arm. The Guardian forced himself to his feet; green eye lenses blazing as he turned to face the enemy. Support armatures unfolded from the back, swinging the twin cannon units into position. Jake reached out and took hold of the trigger handles. As the support arms retracted, Jake twisted his wrists so the barrels were horizontal, and locked targets on the nearest tanks. He could hardly miss at this range as he squeezed the firing levers.

Raw plasma energy exploded from the spinning barrels. Tanks commanders had no time to react as they and their machines were blown apart. Gatling Arm sidestepped to his right, trying to make his way to the castle and help.

Overhead, Feril and Gambini circled the battlefield, keeping enemy fighters at bay. A flight of plasma missiles rose up from the clearing where the APC was hidden. Feril tracked the salvo's flight to termination in the enemy's rear. For all the damage the attacks were causing, the enemy still had an overwhelming force out there. And there appeared to be even heavier elements moving ponderously closer from the southeast.

"Man with a problem, Feril," Gambini said, adding in the location.

Feril scanned the terrain until she found what Gambini was looking at. She spotted the battered War Machine and Jake Rockwell in his battle armor hammering away at the Horde forces swarming to overwhelm him. Claw and Hawk were already moving to assist, but there was a veritable sea of troopers and a few Snake Men to get through.

Jake spied Hawk and Claw trying to clear a path for him, but there were too many robots in the way. He had resigned himself to taking as many troopers with him as possible, and disabled the low power cutouts on the cannons. The cutouts were a safety measure designed to prevent draining gatling cannon power below fifteen percent. At fifteen percent and above there was sufficient power for the regenerating charger to work. Drain power below fifteen percent and the armor would have to be hooked into an external power source, or cross circuit a dangerous ram boost. Jake planned to take the power level all the way to zero and then go hand-to-hand, since this was likely his last battle.

Feril used Castle Grayskull as cover to approach undetected. She skillfully used the dropship's vertical take-off and landing – VTOL – capabilities to pop out from behind the ancient castle and take the Horde totally by surprise. Deployed weapons pods vomited missiles from the upper racks into the artillery units still harassing Gatling Arm. The gatling gun built in under the dropship's nose belched flame over two feet long. Thirty-millimeter shells ripped into rock and thick Horde armor plate. Although the attack only disabled a couple tanks, Alexis was going more for effect than statistics.

A few bursts into the troopers combined with unrelenting attacks from Hawk and Claw cleared a narrow path for Gatling Arm to sprint through to the relative safety of his own lines. Once the rogue warrior was back where he belonged, Feril deftly wheeled her ship about and dove back around Castle Grayskull before anyone could take a shot at her.

"Thanks, Feril," Jake said over the TAC net as he sprinted for safety. "I take back almost every bad thing I've ever said about Air Babies."

"I'm a Marine pilot, you goofball," Alexis shot back blithely.

"Hey, Feril!" Gambini broke in, interrupting any further sniping. "We got a serious problem."

"Yeah, Gambini. They're called the Horde."

"No. Look toward the forest across from the bridge."

Feril looked and felt her blood turn to ice. General Rattlor and his Snake Men herded captured members of Alpha and Beta platoons into groups. Armed troopers kept a careful watch on the prisoners while the surviving command vehicle cycled through transmission channels trying to locate an unsecured frequency the Earth defenders would pick up. Within seconds, General Rattlor's ultimatum was being broadcast to any Earth receiver within range.

"Surrender Castle Grayskull and your advanced armor at once," the Snake Man ordered. "If you do not, we will start killing the prisoners one by one until you do surrender, or we run out of captives."

"That didn't last as long as I had hoped," Colonel Markson muttered grimly.

Anyssa, Dhalon, and Frost looked to the colonel expectantly. The shield protecting the corridor was giving way. Shocktroopers were now physically pounding on the barrier, which flickered dangerously on the verge of dying altogether.

"Cobra, if you're out there, we could sure use your help," Jon said ominously. "Looks like the _Eternia_ isn't going to make it, but let's say we gave it one hell of a shot."

When Adrian Cobretti first described the transfer of knowledge and experience from the battle suit memory core into his brain, few took it seriously except for Hohiro, Gabe, and the Sorceress.

Now, the Sorceress understood what it was all about. It turned out that her predecessor, Cirandar, was an accomplished warrior with a staff weapon. She did not have the time to dissect the flood of knowledge and skills in any great detail as King Hiss made the opening strike.

Falcon snapped the power staff up to block King Hiss' descending magic snake staff. The collision of magics blossomed into a blinding flash of light. Follow-up strikes were blocked or deflected harmlessly away. King Hiss obviously expected this to be a brief fight, and quickly discovered his error.

The pair engaged in a series of chops, blocks, which released a shower of sparks, stabs, and swipes that would have incapacitated a normal human being. Falcon slipped in under King Hiss' guard several times to deliver punishing blows. She received her fair share of blows in return. The Sorceress would definitely be sore in the morning.

Falcon slipped in under Hiss' guard again, swinging with all her might. The flat side of the ornament buried itself in her opponent's belly, lifted him off his feet, and flung him backward. King Hiss landed hard on the stairway up to the throne.

Hiss rested there nursing his wounds and looked up at his deceptively powerful adversary with open bewilderment. His magic sight still showed no aura increase, and yet, he had bruises that would take a week to disappear.

"What shall it be now, Sorceress?" King Hiss said, still mystified by the woman's abilities. "Are we to battle until these walls are blasted down around us and we fall to the planet's core?"

"Or you can slither away in defeat," Sorceress answered without missing a beat.

King Hiss responded by blasting a huge, dark green, semi-translucent snake at the Guardian. Falcon leapt out of the way to her right, landed, and leaped away again as the magical serpent arced around to snap at her again. Hiss recalled the entity to his snake staff, clambered to his feet, and launched another serpent at his elusive quarry.

Single magic serpents were not getting close to the Sorceress, however, so King Hiss modified the attacks. Now the entity sprouted multiple heads, giving the Guardian more to worry about, but they did not come any closer than before.

Like a chess player, King Hiss was thinking several moves ahead. He figured that if the armor was half as powerful as it was rumored to be, they might have some type of flight capabilities, even limited ones. His theory was confirmed when he gave Falcon no option to evade a vicious attack on the ground, and was forced into the air. Falcon had to significantly reduce her mass from the battle-mode form to the combat-mode, which was nearly identical to the armor worn by the Colonel Markson's troops.

_I have you now,_ King Hiss thought, venomously.

Hiss blasted a translucent green energy cone at Falcon, who hovered more than twenty feet over the grand staircase. She twirled her power staff, and a blue/white glow radiated outward, deflecting hiss' magical attack around her.

It was the feint for the real attack.

Several green serpents, identical to the ones he had used to bring down the jawbridge, soared up undetected on Falcon's unprotected flanks. The snakes coiled in wide arcs around the intended prey until they were positioned correctly, and then King Hiss sprang his trap.

Snake tendrils snapped tight around the hovering Guardian in an instant. Falcon lost her grip on the power staff and watched it tumble end over end to the flagstones below. The coils tightened, pinning her arms and legs, making her totally helpless in King Hiss' grip.

King Hiss contracted and stored the snake staff elsewhere. He maintained mental control of the tendrils trapping the Sorceress, and began to slowly reel her in like a fish hooked on a lure.

"Snake versus falcon. The result is inevitable," King Hiss gloated.

In moments, King Hiss had revealed his true form. The Snake Man's arms split in half forming into serpents; each one ending in a dangerous snake head. The torso tore itself apart as the humanoid face was swallowed by another snake head. The five snakes were attached to the human legs at the waist. All five pairs of eyes glowed bloody red.

_Don't flair up yet,_ Falcon cautioned the Sorceress. _Wait for the right moment to show him what you can really do._

King Hiss continued to draw the trapped Guardian into the waiting coils of the serpent arms. He intended to bite her again, multiple times, and leave her to die painfully and permanently.

When the distance closed to just over a meter, Falcon whispered, _now show him the true power of a Guardian._

Evil-lyn had been hiding under the grand staircase since the battle between King Hiss and the Sorceress began. Invading shocktroopers diverted Anyssa's attention, leaving, the witch free to search out one of the many points of access to the magical power stored deep in the bowels of the castle. She should have been well on her way; however, the Sorceress' newfound abilities riveted Evil-lyn's attention.

The witch grinned darkly every time the Sorceress dealt King Hiss a punishing blow. Evil-lyn ventured out several times to make a break for the corridor of time/space portals, only to be driven back under cover by an errant magical fire from the raging battle. Seeing that she wasn't going to get anywhere until one of the combatants won, Evil-lyn used her magic sight to try and guess who would win, and when. She saw what King Hiss did, and make the same conclusions despite the abilities the Sorceress displayed.

Evil-lyn flinched when Falcon's staff hit the stairs and clattered to the flagstone floor. There was no way she would leave now. She had a morbid curiosity to see if the Sorceress was about to suffer the same fate as before. Evil-lyn relished the sight of the Sorceress being inexorably reeled in to meet her fate.

However, at just over a meter away from meeting her destiny, the Sorceress sprang _her_ trap. Still using their magic sights, Evil-lyn and King Hiss were blinded when the Sorceress flared up to full power. The snake coil bindings vaporized instantly, and Falcon threw her arms out wide. A translucent cape of energy almost identical to that of the Sorceress' costume spread out behind her and the scream of Zoar the Falcon ripped through the chamber.

King Hiss stumbled backward in utter disbelief. Through his magic sight the Sorceress appeared as a blinding, white-hot sun. The power radiating from her was incredible. For the first time since King Hiss had been defeated by Hordak during the time of King Grayskull's reign, he felt a brief stab of fear. He had been effectively set up by an opponent he had taken for granted.

Guardian Falcon touched down lightly, called the staff back to her outstretched hand, and took full advantage of the Snake Man's brief vulnerability.

Colonel Markson exited the corridor to see if the fight was over, and to see if there was anything the Sorceress could do about the collapsing shield. He suspected she was the one who had raised it in the first place.

"I don't suppose you could – " Jon stopped in his tracks, the rest of his thoughts going unspoken.

Falcon jumped in close to the off balance King Hiss to engage in physical combat. The snake arms snapped and whipped at her. The Guardian brought the power staff up where the assailing snake heads clamped down on it. She slapped one of the free heads aside, and punched the other square in the snout. Placing both hands in the middle of the steel shaft, she whirled it clockwise. The snakes clamped on the shaft twisted about one another to the point where King Hiss had difficulty maintaining his regained balance. He hissed defiantly at the Sorceress as she spun the staff another rotation and flung the Lord of the Snake Men away like a rag doll.

"Umm, never mind," Jon said to himself. He stood there in rapt fascination, hands resting on the butt of the rifle hanging from his neck.

King Hiss tried to mount a counterattack, but the Sorceress refused to stand still long enough. All those grueling sparring sessions with Hohiro in the months leading up to their first mission paid off now. Despite being nowhere near a martial arts expert, Hohiro's training coupled with Cirandar's knowledge and experience gave the Sorceress all the edge she needed to pummel King Hiss into submission.

Minutes after the renewed battle began; it ended with the Lord of the Snake Men lying unconscious at the foot of the staircase leading up to the throne.

"I guess you're fully healed," Jon commented lightly.

"Yes," Sorceress replied, contracting the power staff and placing against the left armband.

"He's gonna feel that in the morning."

"As will I, no doubt," Sorceress agreed, considering what to do with the Snake Man.

_Well done, Te lynia,_ Moria whispered in the Sorceress' mind. _I only wish I could have been there to enjoy the battle in person._

"Well, if you are finished here, there's the little matter of that shield…" Colonel Markson was saying.

The Sorceress felt the shield she had hastily thrown up collapsing, but a warning from the castle stayed her hand at shoring it up. There was danger somewhere deep in the castle. Someone was attempting to access the power of the Elders!

"Colonel, we have to go. No time to explain. The shield will last long enough," Sorceress explained abruptly.

"What's up?"

"We have to stop someone from making a terrible mistake."

Before he could brace himself, the Sorceress' magic flared up and the pair disappeared in a blizzard of orange/yellow sparkles. Reality resolved in a place deep in the heart of the castle. The pair now stood in a dreary gray corridor with only a magic glow light for illumination. The Sorceress strode off, heels clicking on the flagstones. Colonel Markson followed silently, hefting the pulse rifle.

Almost as soon as King Hiss' unconscious body hit the ground, Evil-Lyn took off for the winding staircase lined with time/space portals. She bounded down the steps at a breakneck pace. A magical light globe receded Evil-lyn as she dashed along, desperate to make it to an access point to the power of the Elders before the Sorceress or her allies caught up to her. Evil-lyn's only chance for defeating the castle's guardian was to acquire the power of the Elders. That would make her as powerful as the Sorceress now was, giving the witch the chance she would need. The only other problem was the hand-to-hand fighting skills the Sorceress used against King Hiss. Evil-lyn found such fighting to be distasteful. Why fight up close when you can strike someone down at a distance with magic?

Minutes of harrowing running through the gloom brought Evil-lyn to the one access point she knew of. A short passage ended in two doorways guarded by a carved stone face set between the closed doors. After making sure no one else was about, Evil-lyn boldly walked up to the inert face.

When she stepped within ten feet of the face, the eyes lit up and a deep bass voice declared, "Have you come for the power of the Elders?"

"Yes," Evil-lyn answered calmly, painfully aware that at this very moment the Sorceress was probably being warned.

"Then choose your passage," the guardian replied, and fell silent. The yellow glow left the eyes as it went inert once more.

Now came the tough part. Many rumors surrounded this portal. Some speculated one could never choose the correct door. Others thought the portal led nowhere, or to somewhere outside the castle. There was a speculation the doors led to another dimension from which no one could return. One rumor even stated that the doors were merely for show and that the real entry was so well concealed none but the Sorceress of Grayskull could access it. Evil-lyn thought that one might even have to know the exact location of the power of the Elders and then open a magic portal to get to it.

"STOP!" a female voice commanded as Evil-lyn took a step toward her chosen door.

Evil-lyn whirled to see the Sorceress clad in armor similar to the male at her side. The male was aiming a projectile weapon in her general direction.

"I've made my choice, Sorceress," Evil-lyn declared, taking a backward step. "Soon I will be as powerful as you." She dared not switch to her magic sight for fear of being blinded again.

"The power of the Elders shall not be yours any more than I would allow King Hiss to have it," Sorceress said, a warning tone in her voice.

"We both know there is only so much you will do to stop people," Evil-lyn said. It was a calculated risk to antagonize this woman after what she has seen the Sorceress do, but one Evil-lyn was willing to take. Her eyes darted to Colonel Markson.

"I will stop you by any means necessary," Sorceress declared. Her tone sent a shiver down Evil-lyn's spine.

Making her choice, Evil-lyn whirled and made a dive for the door she had chosen. She never made it beyond whirling about. The Sorceress had anticipated the witch's action, and readied a spell. When the woman made her move, the Sorceress released her spell and watched with undisguised satisfaction as Evil-lyn collapsed in a crumpled heap.

Colonel Markson relaxed a bit as the Sorceress moved to inspect the woman she had just struck down. "Did you kill her?"

"You know me better than that colonel," Sorceress replied, an odd tone creeping into her voice. Evidently, no one had ever asked her that question. Then again, no guardian of Castle Grayskull had even done what she had this day.

"So tell me again; why am I here?" Jon asked, taking the hint to divert this line of questioning.

"Back up in case I needed it," Sorceress replied, crouching and feeling for a pulse in Evil-lyn's neck just to assure herself she had not overdone the spell's power. She hadn't. Evil-lyn's pulse was strong and steady.

_Back up? After what she just did to that slimy snake? Yeah…right,_ the colonel thought.

The Sorceress stood, stepped back, and waved a wand. Evil-lyn dissolved in a shower of sparkles.

Colonel Markson perked up immediately. "What did you do?"

"I sent her away. Far away to place from which she won't bother us for a long time."

"Oh, that's nice," Jon said, not quite believing the explanation.

The Sorceress' features changed abruptly before Jon could remind her of the failing shield. Surprise gave way to happiness, settling on relief. "He's here."

"Who?" the colonel asked, knowing it could not possibly be the _Eternia_.

"Adrian."


	19. Ch 18

Eighteen

Sands of Time

Planet Eternia

10 June 2017

Moria watched the battle between the Sorceress and King Hiss with rapt fascination. She knew that the guardian of Castle Grayskull had been reborn more powerful than before, had sensed it even before she had paid the woman a visit. While the end result was pleasing to Moria, the tactics that the Sorceress employed were so not like her that it was almost as scary as the skills she displayed. Moria found herself hoping that she never had to confront the Sorceress like this. While she had no doubt that she could defeat the Sorceress, the aftermath of such a battle could be… decidedly unpleasant.

The scene in the magic pool followed the castle's guardian as she and Colonel Markson transported deep into the structure to stop Evil-lyn. Moria was about to do the same, but stopped herself. After seeing what the Sorceress had done to King Hiss, Moria found that she was curious to see how the Sorceress would handle this new development. That, and directly transporting to the castle would reveal to the Elders and anyone else who might be watching that Moria was involved in the battle, and that was a risk she did not want to take. Yet.

The Sorceress and Colonel Markson caught up to Evil-lyn just as she was about to make her choice. She was ordered to halt, but, of course, Evil-lyn had no intention of doing so. After a brief exchange, Evil-lyn made her desperate move to gain the power of the Elders.

She never made it.

The Sorceress struck Evil-lyn down with almost pathetic ease. Colonel Markson appeared to be confused as to why he had even been brought along. The Sorceress' answer did not reassure him, however. After making sure the intruder was still alive, the Sorceress magically whisked Evil-lyn away to parts unknown.

At the same time, Moria heard the brief telltale sound of a transportation spell in the other chamber. Frowning, Moria left the pool to who or what had dared to enter her domain, and stopped dead in her tracks at the doorway. The unconscious form of her daughter lay several paces away.

_Now we are even,_ the Sorceress said.

_Thank you,_ Moria responded, though she knew Teela'Na still had a final debt to pay, not that the Sorceress herself even knew it yet, of course. As Moria gazed on the unconscious form of her child, an uncharacteristic wave of emotion flooding through her. A solitary tear wormed its way down her right cheek as she went to check on her daughter.

Snake Mountain

Skeletor, King Randor, and Queen Marlena watched the battle progress to its inevitable conclusion. Well, the conclusion that Skeletor advocated, anyway. The magic dome could not penetrate Castle Grayskull's defenses, so they had no idea what was happening inside. The fighting outside was winding down with the capture of the majority of the Earth defenders. The air units fled to regroup out of range while General Rattlor made his surrender speech.

"See?" Skeletor said triumphantly. "I warned that Earth commander he had no hope of winning."

"It isn't over yet," Randor countered.

The image of Colonel Markson's troops being rounded up said otherwise. Only the four Guardians remained where they were.

"You can't let it end like this, Skeletor," Queen Marlena said, staring the Overlord of Evil square in his eye sockets.

"Can't I?" Skeletor replied, casually.

"I've seen the army you have hidden away. You could turn the tide, if you wanted."

"Key word, my dear, is 'wanted'. I don't, and won't. I have no love for King Hiss, but I am not going to incite a war with him, either."

Randor glared at Skeletor. "You know the prophecy, same as I. You know these Guardians are the ones we have been waiting for."

"So what if I do? Maybe I will send a single shocktrooper to assist. Would that do it? After all, the Quaedians only sent one feline. Why should I do any more than that?" Skeletor countered. He had a good point, even if it was from a skewed point of view.  
"Don't let it end like this," the queen pleaded. "Don't let them fall."

Skeletor regarded the woman the same as he would one of his traitorous minions; without any trace of emotion.

Vexed beyond reason, Queen Marlena finally snapped. "Damn you! _Do something!_"

Darksmoke Mountain

Granamyr and Kodec Ungor followed the battle for Castle Grayskull with growing concern. The Guardian Force appeared to hold their own from the outset, however, the battle turned against them as Teela rallied the troops and counterattacked. The Horde forces suffered dearly throughout the battle, but the result was inevitable. With the bulk of the Snake Men scouring the forest for the hidden Earthers, the Horde machines took the brunt of the attacks.

Fighting tapered off until it stopped altogether with captured soldiers being shoved out of the trees in groups. The Guardians halted their attacks when General Rattlor broadcasted his ultimatum, however, none of them made a move to comply.

Granamyr tried to observe the battle within the castle between the Sorceress and King Hiss, but the same spells keeping Skeletor from seeing inside the structure also hindered the ancient dragon's efforts. On that front, they would just have to wait and see, and hope.

"I think it is time for a diversion," the ancient dragon observed.

"Agreed," Kodec answered.

Kodec felt the characteristic rush of power, like a gentle breeze suddenly kicking up, as Granamyr employed magic to wake Adrian Cobretti. After a few moments, Adrian stirred, and finally regained consciousness. His eyes finally focused on the brown-haired woman leaning over him.

"How do you feel?" Kodec asked, hoping Granamyr's healing sleep had been enough to finally heal the damage done by the Horde mind sifter.

Cracking a sly grin, Adrian replied, "With my hands."

"I don't know why I expected a straight answer from you," Kodec sighed, inwardly smiling. It was a good sign. "Nor do I see why the Sorceress is so taken by your planet."

"Must be a near-mortal thing."

"Well, the rest of your mortal friends need you," Kodec said bluntly.

Adrian sat up abruptly, regretted it when a pounding headache hammered him, but remained upright. He took stock of his surroundings as the throbbing pain subsided. He was in a circular chamber whose ceiling he could not see beyond the soft white glow above. Weapons, shields, the odd treasure chest, and piles of gold and jewels littered the floor along the wall. A walkway five feet wide separated the treasure from the huge pit in the center of the chamber. The pit itself was over thirty-feet across and was dominated by a creature straight out of Earth's myths.  
Adrian couldn't tell for sure how tall the dragon was, but fifteen feet of him hovered in the opening. His scales were several shades darker than brick red with a maroon belly. Bright yellow eyes regarded him attentively. There was no way to read the emotions in the creature's face, so Adrian had no idea what he might be thinking. A battered, purple helmet with horns reminiscent of Earth's Vikings crowned the head. Razor-sharp teeth filled a snout over three feet in length.

"Most humans cringe at the sight of me," the dragon grumbled, "but not you."

"Is there any reason why I should?" Adrian asked innocently.

"Not at all. I have come to realize you humans have evolved and grown past your fear and hatred of dragonkind, for the most part," Granamyr replied.

"Well," Adrian said, getting to his feet with assistance from Kodec, "I wouldn't say the fear is entirely gone, but I hardly feel threatened by you."

Granamyr grinned, an action usually taken as a menacing rather than humorous. "How do you know that? Maybe I like to toy with my prey."

Adrian shook his head. "You strike me as more of a creature of nobility and honor. If you intended to harm me, you'd have done it by now. You certainly wouldn't have healed me."

The ancient dragon regarded his human guest for several long moments. He kept his emotions carefully hidden while marveling at the man's intuition. Evidently, the knowledge Granamyr had planted in Adrian's mind were starting to surface. The deeper ones would not come forth until the battle for Castle Grayskull was over. Information Granamyr wanted known, but only to a select few. He would have to trust Adrian would know who could be trusted. It also wouldn't be long before Adrian remembered their initial meeting when he _had_ been a little nervous in the dragon's presence.

"True enough. While I would enjoy further conversation, your companions cannot wait. The battle has taken a bad turn and an event is needed to turn the tide in our favor."

The emphasis on 'our' did not go unnoticed by Adrian. "How bad?" Adrian asked, dreading the answer.

Instead of telling him, the ancient dragon created a magical window similar to ones the Sorceress has used in the past to show him. The news was worse than Adrian could have imagined. Nearly all of the ground troops had been captured, and were being herded into groups. It wouldn't be long before the Snake Men began killing them one at a time until Castle Grayskull was surrendered. They needed a diversion to give Colonel Markson and Lieutenant Garber a chance to withdraw to the safety of the castle.

"Someone must give them a fighting chance. Someone who can distract the enemy long enough for Guardian Force to regroup," Granamyr was saying, though Adrian hardly heard him.

_You have to come to terms with what you have become, Adrian,_ the sentient armor whispered in his mind. _Like the others, you are as much a weapon of war as the armor. Together we are unbeatable._

"I know," Adrian whispered. Louder, he said, "How do you intend to get me there?"

"What makes you think you are the diversion we have in mind?" Kodec questioned, folding her arms in front of her.

"Why else would you have drawn me into that portal to come here, and go through the trouble of healing me?" Adrian countered.

Kodec's eyes flickered toward Granamyr before she answered. "Maybe we have a soft spot for hard luck cases."

"I'll remember to ask the Sorceress later," Adrian said before realizing the significance of that statement. He still did not quite believe she had been healed, and probably wouldn't until he saw the woman with his own eyes.

Kodec kept her thoughts to herself. She was spared from an awkward silence by Granamyr.

"There is no more time to waste. You must return to Castle Grayskull. Perhaps with your intervention, you will have a chance until help arrives," the dragon said, retreating to his usual cryptic ways. He raised a taloned hand, stalling Adrian's questions.

The massive entry doors squeaked and groaned as an invisible force dragged them open. Beyond lay the ice platform and bridge to the flattened mountain peak, which served as a landing pad. At the edge of the bridge, a shimmering portal coalesced into a characteristic time/space portal Adrian had come to know so well.

"I guess that's my cue," Adrian sighed, turning his back on the pair.

Kodec stepped onto Granamyr's outstretched talon, and the dragon slowly sank into the heart of his domain.

At the doorway, Adrian paused to look back over his shoulder. "Granamyr."

The great dragon had sunk so low that only the helmet remained in sight. He stopped and levitated himself up until his entire head was above the lip of the pit.

"Thank you," Adrian replied. He didn't have to elaborate. Granamyr knew what this human was thanking him for.

The ruler of Darksmoke Mountain rumbled, "You are welcome, Guardian." He sank out of sight once more.

The doors closed behind Adrian leaving him alone thousands of miles from his friends. Well, not _entirely_ alone.

_Well, this is it. I hope that name you chose for me is suitable._

_Oh, it is,_ Adrian told the machine. _Granamyr gave me the idea._

Indignant, _You mean you just _now _came up with a name?_

Grinning, Adrian said, _Yes._ He turned his attention to the portal patiently waiting several meters away. The winds were calm so he could hear the cascade humming from the magical construction.

Activating the armor through a touch of the medallion dangling from its silver chain, Adrian called up the battle-mode configuration; the most powerful mode. He paused at the threshold of the portal, still harboring doubts.

_I'm right here with you,_ the armor replied as soothingly as possible. _Together there is nothing we can't do._

Adrian nodded. Taking a deep breath, he said, "There is no spoon."

And stepped through the portal.

Castle Grayskull

Lieutenant Garber resented being pushed around by the snakes almost as much as he resented the towering General Rattlor and his smug look of triumph. All along the edge of the forest soldiers were being herded through the trees. The confiscated weapons were being conveniently collected close to each group. The snakes were so confident in their victory they did not consider the possibility of an uprising.

General Rattlor flicked his tongue in and out. "So much for your defense, human," the Snake Man hissed with pleasure. "The castle will soon be ours."

"Not if the Sorceress has anything to say about it," Garber sneered back.

Rattlor's eyes widened in shock, but he quickly recovered. "It doesn't matter. King Hiss will kill her again, if necessary."

"You don't know us very well, do you?" Garber growled, not budging an inch. "You're in over your head this time, you just don't realize it. Now get up out of my face before something bad happens." He caught the flicker of an oval portal opening on the ledge above the castle's skull façade. "Too late," he added, snapping his eyes toward the castle.

Rattlor followed the human's hint and turned toward the castle – and gawked. The last tendrils of energy faded away from a very familiar shape standing on the ledge beneath the castle's dome.

"No," Rattlor hissed, a stab of fear piercing his heart.

Adrian stepped from the ledge, wings snapping out, and backpack thrusters igniting to steady the drop to the bridge. He plowed through the sea of shocktroopers that were hammering away at the failing shield. Robots exploded with an impressive concussive force that shattered the magical barrier, allowing a flight of debris to scatter down the castle's entry corridor.

"See? I _told_ you he'd make it!" Frost beamed, ducking flying pieces of robot.

"Never doubted it," Anyssa replied, smiling slightly.

"Nor did I," Dhalon growled with pleasure. Now that the shield was down, he could maybe add to his score of downed robots.

Green lenses blazed as deadly beam sabers were ejected from hidden compartments into waiting hands, and were ignited. Ruby blades hissed like living things as they sliced, stabbed, chopped, and hacked their way in a dizzying dance through the throng of machines crowding the jawbridge and ramp. Sparks flew with each lightning-quick strike. Robots toppled from the bridge into the bottomless chasm whole and in pieces as the Guardian battled his way toward General Rattlor.

The few remaining battle drones turned their attention to the most dangerous threat on the field. Corkscrew vapor trails from the railgun mounts blasted across the battlefield, but none came close to hitting the mark. Anyssa launched one Etherium arrow after another to the left while Corporal Frost returned fire with caseless Etherium shells on the right. Dhalon brought up the rear, reluctantly, waiting for a robot to get past the raging Guardian and land in his eager sights.

Fighting his way close to the stone arches, Adrian leapt atop the first one and then hopped across to the other. He landed in a crouch like a feline waiting to pounce upon its prey. The armor shrank in size from the battle to combat configuration. Adrian and Rattlor locked eyes immediately while Dhalon gleefully hacked and chopped away at the surviving shocktroopers.

"We have a battle to finish, changeling," Rattlor hisses, cracking his knuckles.

"That we do," Adrian agreed. "And the name is 'War Wing!'"

The Snake Man was caught totally unprepared for his foe's lunge. Adrian plowed into Rattlor's abdominal area, bowling the creature over easily. As the pair tumbled across the barren ground, Adrian transformed into the powerful syngenor form, and, rolling to his feet, flung the serpent into a thick tree.

Rattlor's head smacked the tree hard, causing bright flashes before his eyes for a few seconds. He shook his head to clear it, and stared at his waiting foe. The power in that compact frame was incredible and those glowing silver eyes practically taunted him. Struggling to his feet, the serpent steadied himself just in time to take a punch to the chest. He flinched reflexively, but did not fly the short distance backward into the tree. Opening his eyes, Rattlor looked down to see a black fist resting against the jade snakehead which locked the straps of his harness together. Despite the speed with which the creature had moved, the absurdity of the situation struck Rattlor as insanely funny. What started as a chuckle degenerated into a fit of boisterous laughter. The laughter ended abruptly as the jade head cracked and then shattered.

Now it was Adrian's turn to chuckle; a truly inhuman sound that was more terrifying than humorous. Rattlor snapped his head forward, stretching his neck to an impossible length, teeth striking his enemy's left shoulder. Adrian tried to twist away, but Rattlor's speed caught him off guard. He did manage to draw blood, however, as his bone claws scraped against ribs. The pair reversed positions, struck again, and then Adrian launched himself at the Snake Man, sending them both rolling across the broken ground.

Sergeant Apone grabbed Lieutenant Garber by the arm and dragged him away. "C'mon, lieutenant. These two have been eating too much red meat."

Near the ramp, the fight continued unabated between Adrian and General Rattlor. The Snake Man took some small comfort in seeing the damage he did to Adrian's left shoulder, until it healed right before his eyes, that is. Adrian snickered again, and renewed the battle. After a few intense minutes of brutal strikes, both combatants were tired, battered, and bloody.

Wiping away a stream of blood dribbling from the left side of his mouth, General Rattlor considered his options. There was no way he could win this without losing his own life in the process. This human simply _refused_ give up! It was enough to give Rattlor flashbacks to fighting He-man.

"Snake Men!" a voice boomed from the castle just as the general made up his mind to continue the fight.

The minor skirmishes in the wake of War Wing's arrival ceased as attention was centered on Castle Grayskull – and the Sorceress standing atop the eastern tower. Andre Wardman nearly jumped out of his skin when she and Colonel Markson dumped the unconscious form of King Hiss onto the flagstones. The young ensign timidly kicked a tentacle arm away as if the snake head would suddenly snap out and bite him.

"Castle Grayskull shall not be yours this day," the Sorceress declared using magic to cast her voice to all the beings and robots paying attention. She disappeared from sight briefly to pick up the limp for of King Hiss. "Your leader has fallen."

"King Hiss," General Rattlor bellowed.

"Our leader is defeated," Kobra Khan exclaimed.

"Take him and leave this place," Sorceress declared.

Added by the strength of her armor, the Sorceress easily hurled the leader of the Snake Men across the bottomless mote. Kobra Khan and others scrambled to get under the flying serpent in an effort to break his fall. The dead weight slammed Kobra Khan and Snake Face to the ground, but they achieved their goal.

General Rattlor whirled on Adrian to resume the fight, hatred blazing like a forest fire in his eyes. Adrian resumed human form, calling the armor up to combat mode. He took one step toward the charging Snake man and released a devastating blast of pure telekinesis power. Rattlor cleared the pile of Kobra Khan, Snake Face, and King Hiss by nearly fifteen feet and landed extremely hard on the loose rubble over thirty feet away. He felt several ribs snap like twigs, punctuated by sickening pops.

Despite these pockets of resistance, the enemy still had command of the battlefield. Something more substantial had to happen to shift the balance back in the favor of Grayskull's defenders. A massive disturbance erupted in the forest. Snake Men scrambled away from the tree line, those who didn't fall with a spear or arrow protruding from his back. From the top of the east tower, Colonel Markson gawked in wonder at the furry humanoid figures emerging in droves from the Evergreen Forest, armed with a wide variety of weapons that ranged from laser rifles to primitive crossbows.

Frost's walking 'teddy bears' had arrived.

Eternian Solar System

Commander Franik waited patiently on the bridge of his battlecruiser. Reports streamed in from the attack force closing in on Castle Grayskull. The operation had been proceeding uneventfully. But based on the reports filed by General Rongar, Commander Franik knew that the enemy waited until the prime moment to strike. With the superior force bearing down on them, the Earthers would have no choice but to strike hard and fast in an effort to destroy as many units as possible before they were overwhelmed. Regardless of how valiantly they fought, the final result would never be in doubt.

Reports of the first attacks filtered through the command circuits as the lead elements of the ground force drew within sight of the ancient castle. Chaos ensued as the enemy's unconventional tactics took their toll on the leading elements of the attack force. Despite the brazen attacks, the ground force marched onward.

A warning beacon sounded from the sensor station, drawing Franik's attention away from the reports that were pouring in. Explosions rippled through space along the perimeter line of destroyers. Several warships died in spectacular detonations. Secondary eruptions followed as the fusion cores breeched.

"Locate the source of the enemy fire," Franik ordered.

Several robots hesitated momentarily before returning to their control consoles. They were not convinced it was an enemy attack. However, detailed scans of the wreckage showed traces of plasma energy, a prime indicator of Earth weapons.

"_Eternia_," Franik hissed through clenched teeth. "Find that ship. Quickly!" _Based on their last attack, their weapons couldn't have that great a range._

"Commander," the robot manning the long-range sensors reported suddenly. "I have an unknown contact just this side of the fifth planet."

"Why wasn't it spotted before now?" Franik demanded.

"The energy signature just appeared as if they didn't power up until they were ready."

The commander sank back into his chair, deep in thought. It didn't take him long to figure out the tactics the Earthers had used to get in this close undetected. Clever strategy to get in the first strike; he was impressed. However, his fleet still overmatched one ship a quarter of the size of a Horde destroyer. It would only be a matter of time before their entire ordinance supply was expended. Even their Etherium hull would only last so long before it was breeched.

There was no more time to reflect as the starship _Eternia_ made her attack run.

When the _Eternia_ exited hyperspace just inside the boundary of the Eternian star system, all systems were immediately shut down and the ship went into a submarine equivalent of silent running. Before doing so, Captain Majourny risked one active scan for targets to program into the plasma torpedoes. Once they were secure from enemy detection, plans were formulated to get the remainder of Colonel Markson's command dropped into the planet's atmosphere to reinforce those left behind days ago.

Lieutenant Denton came up with a way to do that. By taking a quick active scan, they could plot the locations of the enemy warships, programmed the inertial guidance on salvos of plasma torpedoes, and jettison them using air pressure. This would allow the weapons to have fuel to adjust their trajectory on their terminal runs to their assigned targets.

It would take hours for the torpedoes to drift within range of their targets, so the crew put those hours to good use as the _Eternia_ drifted in-system, unpowered behind the released weapons. Lieutenant Satori proposed an idea for dealing with the more powerful heavy corvettes identified in the quick scan. The reaction warheads were essentially electromagnetic pulse weapons, so the idea was to take the devises out of the torpedoes and place them in the mines.

A speed run past a heavy corvette while launching the mines could have the desired effect of disrupting the warship's shields long enough to get a few plasma torpedoes in. The trick would be to survive enemy fire long enough to get in close to make the attempt. That was the reason for the ejection of the early salvos. Hopefully, those would cause enough chaos to drop off the remaining half of the Guardian Force before engaging the Horde fleet.

Satori's mine modifications were completed slightly behind schedule due to a few compatibility issues, but the delay was minimal. All the preparations for combat were finished on time, including the quick training of replacements for the quad guns. All sections reported ready for action as the numbers wound down to zero hour.

At zero hour, the torpedo salvos engaged their active sensor packages, lit off their drives, and blasted into their assigned targets, which were still conveniently holding station. Shields overloaded and collapsed. Hull armor boiled away, leaving bare vital systems. Power grids overloaded from the devastation leading to catastrophic meltdown of the fusion reactor, and a terminal detonation obliterating the warship.

A total of three destroyers died in a fiery, plasma-induced blaze. A fourth was mortally wounded, though the fusion reactor did not overload.

_Eternia_ screamed through the vacuum on full burn straight for her namesake planet. Battlecruisers and destroyers lit off their drives and sluggishly began maneuvers to intercept. Getting thousands of tons of warship moving in a vacuum was an agonizing process because inertia had to be overcome before maneuvering thrusters could be employed along with the sub-light drives. That fact of physics, coupled with the instant chaos caused by the attack, gave _Eternia_ all the time it needed to get in close enough to execute a high-speed drop run identical to the one they had performed several days ago.

Powerful lifting arms held the remaining pair of dropships over the open drop bays as the engines spooled up and landing struts folded up into the belly. The arms lowered the ships into position on the drop pads, disengaged, and rose out of the way for the thick bay doors to seal above. The coming drop didn't bother Hohiro Takamora as much as the concept of the high-speed combat drop did. Despite the success of the first drop, there was still an element of danger for both the dropship and the mother craft.

Usually, troops conversed and joked with one another to take their minds off the coming action, but knowing their companions were probably in serious danger on the ground left little room for the usual antics. The troops sat locked into the troop seats, anxious and fidgety. Captain Takamora conversed quietly with the dropship pilots and Lieutenant Kent Howard, who was commanding Delta Platoon, in the other ship.

Thanks to the starship's inertia dampers, the soldiers could not feel the sudden acceleration. When the near misses from enemy laser cannons began blossoming along the _Eternia_'s flight path, however, the cramped troop compartment became a very bumpy place to be if you weren't strapped down.

Ace tried his best to avoid the enemy fire, but the trajectory to the drop point didn't allow for much room to maneuver. All available power was shunted to the engines and shields. The closer _Eternia_ drew to the planet, the more the laser fire intensified. Several direct hits to the shields blasted the starship momentarily off course. Ace struggled with the manual controls to bring the ship back, finally succeeding after a few tense seconds. Sweat beads littered his brow as he scanned the void ahead. They weren't going to get into high orbit without taking a few more nasty hits.

Take them, _Eternia_ did. She seemed to shrug off the green lances of destructive energy with only minimal internal damage. Ace squeezed through the maze of plasma lightning to make a mad dash at the atmosphere. Enemy fire tracked the starship, but was a fraction of a second behind.

A fraction was all Captain Majourny needed.

_Eternia_ rotated ninety degrees, dropped her ventral shield arc, and opened the drop bay doors. Three seconds after the doors dropped open, two dropships plunged into the atmosphere. _Eternia_ soared away, bays sealed, shields raised, and weapons charged. Ace pulled up hard, followed the planetary curve until he crested the northern pole, and then leveled out facing the oncoming enemy starships.

A flight of reaction and plasma torpedoes jetted from the forward torpedo tubes as the ship's engines ratcheted up to full sub-light power. Three destroyers backed up by a battlecruiser were attempting to pin _Eternia_ in her namesake planet's gravity well, where she would have limited mobility. Captain Majourny anticipated the move and had issued orders to Ace and Harley to maneuver and open fire on the enemy without her orders. That confidence and autonomy was one of the traits that would allow them to beat the Horde.

Jo-jo watched the flight of torpedoes streak through the vacuum, straight into the teeth of the destroyer directly ahead. Its shields collapsed under the onslaught of electro-magnetic radiation, and were consumed in a series of fiery explosions. Ace plowed into the heart of the flaming vapor cloud to evade enemy fire. It was the one tactic they did not expect. Who in their right mind would continue flying toward an enemy still fielding an overwhelming taskforce?

The Earth starship ripped through the other side of the dying cloud 'under' the battlecruiser. Jo-jo studied the sensor scans on her right-hand panel. After a few seconds of intense searching, Jo-jo found what she wanted.

Transferring target coordinates to Ace's panel, Jo-jo said, "There's the target, Ace."

Sparing the briefest of glanced, Ace answered, "Got it."

The target in question was one of the two heavy corvettes. Fighters scrambled from the corvette's many launching bays and quickly swarmed in _Eternia_'s direction. Harley opened up with every offensive weapon the starship had. Forward laser guns poured coherent bolts of light into the night. Railguns flung eighteen-inch titanium shells out at close to light speed. The quad gunners had more success destroying or damaging fighters because of their ability to track their targets. All the forward weapons could do was throw up a screen of energy bolts and projectiles in the hope that something flew into it.

The enemy commander made the mistake of packing his warships in a little too tightly because the closer _Eternia_ drew to the center of the Horde's defensive formation; the harder it was for them to hit anyone other than themselves. This allowed Ace to get in close to the heavy corvette to lay the modified mines.

Ace skimmed the invisible outer boundary of the warship's shields at break-neck speeds. _Eternia_'s ventral shields occasionally glanced off the Horde ship's barrier, releasing a blazing shower of sparks. Mines ejected from the launch bay, just forward of the number two engine. Their guidance computers were active at the moment of launch, and they engaged thrusters to keep them from impacting the corvette' shields.

Laser fire from the surrounding capital ships ceased for fear of hitting their own ship, but the fighters dogging their trail had no such inhibitions because of their vastly weaker weapons. Red laser bolts flashed past the Earth ship, sometimes splashing against its shields. Most of the wild fire hit the corvette's shields without doing any damage. Amazingly, none out the mines took a hit during the entire seeding operation.

Ace cleared the mammoth ship in seconds. In that time, Harley released half of the total inventory of modified mines. The ship had barely reached minimum safe distance when the signal to detonate was transmitted. At the same moment, a flight of four plasma torpedoes was launched. The weapons soared ahead for a thousand meters and pulled up sharply reversing their flight path.

Electromagnetic energies splashed against the powerful Horde shields all along the corvette's port side. The shield array couldn't handle such a widespread assault at point-blank range. Plasma torpedoes zeroed in on a detonating mine concentration a hundred meters down from the bow. That group of mines shorted out the shield emitter, opening a three-second gap before the other overloaded network began to compensate for the damage. That lag was enough to allow two of the weapons to streak inside to impact the thick hull plates. The others were caught outside were their detonations further destroyed the entire shield array.

Hull armor vaporized, atmosphere vented into the cold, hard vacuum of space taking robots and a few sentient being along for the ride. The power grid collapsed when a major distribution hub literally vaporized in a boiling cloud of plasma fire.

The last Lieutenant Satori saw on her sensor panel as the _Eternia_ threaded her way through a collection of destroyers and one battlecruiser was a severely damaged heavy corvette floating dead in space, and beginning to tumble out of control due to its inertia.

The closest destroyers disgorged their small complement of fighters and formed a protective cordon around the heavily damaged corvette. Several wings of fighters formed up, engaged full thrusters, and blasted off in pursuit of the Earth starship fleeing into the outer system.

Through the entire run, Lieutenant Satori attempted to make contact with Colonel Markson's platoons on the surface when she had a free moment to transmit. As the ship raced past the Eternian system's fifth planet, she finally made contact.

Static erupted from the bridge speakers for a moment before being replaced by the colonel's voice. "Well, it's about time you showed up. You waiting until we're on the brink of being wiped out before getting here?"

"We stopped off at Etheria for lunch, since we still had some time to kill," Jo-jo replied, stifling a slight smile. "What's your situation?"

"Bad. We hurt them, but we just don't have to firepower to repel them. Some friends of Corporal Frost's have shown up, but I don't think it'll be enough."

"Hohiro is on his way with the remaining platoons, and stocked with munitions," the captain replied, switching her gaze between the left and right-hand control panels.

Explosions in the background drowned out any reply the colonel might have had. It could be the dropships had finally arrived.

"We're a little busy just now. Call back later."

"We're engaged with a Horde fleet up here, Colonel. We'll try to join you as soon as we can," Jo-jo said grimly.

"Understood," Colonel Markson acknowledged.

The line went dead with the echo of more explosions.

Captain Majourny tapped a control buzzing the engine room. "How soon can we affect repairs?" she demanded.

Chief Engineer Santana responded immediately. "We're working as fast as we can. Give me thirty minutes and we'll be ready to re-engage the Horde ships."

"You have fifteen. Our people on the ground may not have thirty minutes." Jo-jo's tone left no room for argument, and Lieutenant Santana had a habit of inflating his repair estimates.

"Aye, captain," Santana replied, closing the comm channel.

Jo-jo didn't like waiting even one minute, but it wouldn't do Colonel Markson any good if _Eternia_ got blown out of the stars because she didn't take a few precious minutes to get her ship back into some semblance of fighting condition.

Castle Grayskull

General Rattlor flung himself at the changeling who had dealt him such a pounding. Adrian reverted to human form before calling forth the incredible suit of power armor. He took one step toward his charging enemy and with a thrusting motion of both hands, and slammed the snake backward with pure telekinetic force.

Normally, the use of magic or even powers of a highly developed brain was preceded by an invisible rush, not unlike the touch of a light summer breeze. This was a tell tale warning when magic-users fought to throw up a hasty defense. In Adrian's case, the 'rush' came at the moment of release. There was no warning whatsoever. And he had absolutely no idea how he did. He just did it.

General Rattlor flew into Snake Face and Kobra Khan, who had been collecting their fallen leader, and bowled the pair over. They landed in a jumbled heap of arms, legs, and tails. The trio untangled themselves, saw War Wing's blazing green eye lenses, and hastened to gather up their leader.

Adrian watched them retreat to their own lines. He let them go because without King Hiss, this assault was soon to fail.

The Horde, however, had other ideas.

Three tanks ground to a halt a little over a hundred meters away. Twin-barreled turrets swiveled in War Wing's direction, and locked targets. Six barrels glowed at the business ends with priming charge leading up to a discharge of plasma energy. Hawk saw the danger and shouted a warning. Too late. Six barrels discharged as one, engulfing the guardian in boiling plasma. The ground exploded in a cloud of smoke and peppering combatants with shards hundreds of meters away. A few larger chunks even bounced off the castellated ridge of the eastern tower.

The armor withstood far more power energy weapons, warship-grade canons, but the armor had yet to take direct hits like this. All eyes were riveted to the slowly dissipating cloud. As the smoke and dust settled, the Sorceress feared that War Wing hadn't been able to get this shield up in time.

All at once, the smoke cleared away to reveal a flickering dome energy shield with War Wing safe and sound inside. He stood, right side turned toward the tanks to present a smaller target, plasma rifle in hand.

"You need a bigger gun," War Wing stated emotionlessly. Three shots belched from the rifle's muzzle; three Horde tanks erupted in fiery explosions in response. "GUARDIANS HO!"

At the sound of the ancient battle cry, Hawk slammed the palm of her right hand into Teela's chest, flinging the woman backward over fifteen feet. Teela landed hard and rolled another few feet before finally skidding to a halt. She fumbled for the quick release clasp behind her back for the snake armor. It didn't help that several ribs had been cracked and breathing was an exercise in pain. The clasp finally popped open and the armor fell away. The durable plate had an eight-inch vertical crack from the Guardian's blow.

Claw jerked his scimitars from sheathes on his back, and took a horizontal swipe at Blade. The mercenary ducked under the weapon, feeling the uncomfortable breeze of its passing. The Guardian pressed the attack, forcing Blade to dive into successive shoulder rolls to escape. He ducked as a scimitar sailed end-over-end above his head.

Blade had not been the target, however. A heavy battle drone clomped into point-blank range and set its sights on Claw. The tumbling scimitar's blade heated up into the white-hot range, slamming into the drone's head. The heated blade melted its way down into the chest where the power cells were situated. They detonated the moment the intense heat melted the power cell's casing, and the force of the explosion gave the scimitar the momentum to literally fly back to its owner's hand.

Tung Lashor snapped his trademark appendage out at Hawk to divert her attention away from Teela; not that he really cared about the human female. The tongue wrapped itself tight about Hawk's left forearm.

"Nyet!" she scolded, clamping her right hand on the wrapping. "First date; no tongue!"

Hawk twisted the left hand to grasp the living rope before the Snake man could draw it back, and yanked violently down and to her left. Tung Lashor executed an awful belly flop and was dragged along the rough ground as the Guardian reeled him in. The snake managed to get his feet under him, but it only served to slice his feet to shreds on the loose rock. As he was dragged to within range of the beam spear, Lashor had no other choice. He drew a dagger from his belt a slashed his own tongue, whirled, and scampered away.

Quaedians exploded into action, attacking the enemy's flanks. Despite their primary mixture of primitive weapons sprinkled with laser pistols and rifles, the felines took the fight to the Horde and lingering Snake Men. With Kittrina leading the charge, they helped the unarmed Earthers retreat to the ramp and across the jawbridge into Castle Grayskull.

Corporal Frost, Anyssa, and Dhalon met the first group, who were being led by none other than King Carnivus himself. Frost led the king up into the eastern tower to meet Colonel Markson, leaving Anyssa and Dhalon to supervise getting the troops re-armed.

The colonel was just finishing his conversation with Captain Majourny as Andre Wardman launched another javelin missile at a horde fighter attempting to strafe the tower. The craft's fiery demise drowned out the comm channel, but there was nothing more for Markson and Jo-jo to say to one another.

Frost presented the feline king to his commander. "Colonel, this is King Carnivus, ruler of the Quaedian people."

Carnivus boldly stuck out his right hand to the Earth commander, who took it after a moment's hesitation. "I have heard a little about you, colonel. Your warriors are quite skilled," the feline rumbled with approval.

"Thanks," was all Jon could think to say.

To break the awkward moment, Frost said, "When we spoke yesterday, you were dead set against coming to our aid. What changed your mind?"

"You did," Carnivus answered pointedly.

Frost arched an eyebrow. "Something I said?"

Carnivus shook his head. "Something you did. You do not have the forces necessary to win this battle, yet you came anyway. Fighting against such overwhelming odds is what He-man, She-ra, and all their allies did on a regular basis. You were correct in pointing out that just because they are gone, it doesn't mean we abandon the fight." The feline king turned to Colonel Markson, who was watching Frost with a slight case of wonder. "Colonel Markson. I have brought what warriors I can spare to assist you in this fight. I have been informed that you seek allies in your war against the Evil horde. I offer my hand in friendship, and an ally to count on. Your war is now our war."

Stunned, Colonel Markson shook the taloned hand the king proffered him. No words were necessary, which was good because Jon had no idea what to say. Catherine O'Rourke broke the moment by pointing to the heavy armored units finally pulling into striking range of the castle. A stab of fear pierced every person's heart as they realized what it was they were facing.

The leading three mobile canons halted three hundred yards away. At that distance, the javelin missiles would be the only weapons within effective range. Unfortunately, they were almost out of said missiles. While Hohiro was on his way with reinforcements, it takes time for dropships to blast through the atmosphere without burning up.

Forgetting the scattered remnants of the foot soldiers, drones, and tanks, Guardians Claw, Blitzkrieg, and Hawk formulated a plan to take out the mobile canons. First, they had to drive off the fighters still buzzing the area. Gatling Arm, now fully charged after a dangerous ram-boost from Claw, sprayed the sky with plasma bursts. War Wing took a few shots at the streaking craft in an effort to drive them into Gatling Arm's fire.

Two fighters dove on the armored defenders, hammering away at them with their laser canons. Hawk sprang into action, beam spear in hand, and charged toward the incoming fighters. Blitzkrieg and Gatling Arm peppered the air ahead of the diving craft to distract the robot pilots. The tactic worked better than expected for plasma bolts punctured the armor and severed vital controls making it impossible for the machine pilots to pull out.

Hawk leapt into the air, using her backpack thrusters for an added boost. The fighter descending on its terminal dive passed beneath the soaring Guardian, who used the craft's top surface as a springboard to launch herself into the face of the fighter's wingman. She cocked her right arm back, green blade blazing in the early afternoon sunlight, and hurled it with all her inhuman strength.

The wingman had absolutely no time to react as the improvised missile pierced the fighter on its left side near the wing root. The beam spear exploded from the back through the number one engine – the aircraft's left – taking hundreds of pounds of debris with it.

Both fighters slammed into the wreckage-strewn battlefield twenty feet apart. Boiling fireballs were the backdrop to Hawk's landing two hundred meters further down range, spear recalled to her hand.

As Tung Lashor and Blade retreated, Teela stood her ground, taking shelter behind some torn armor plate blasted from a troop carrier. She took stock of the battle as the heavy artillery units rumbled into point-blank range of the castle behind her. Quaedians were swarming from the Evergreen Forest, led by a familiar female dressed in blue and wielding a sword**** The Earth people fled into the castle, only to emerge moments later armed and dangerous once more. Despite the tactical shift in momentum, her side still had the advantage in firepower.

Colonel Markson spotted Teela taking stock of the current situation, snapped up a spare sniper rifle, and took careful aim. The Sorceress saw the man's moment out of the corner of her eye. Her gaze trailed to what had grabbed the colonel's attention. Instantly, she realized what was about to happen – and could not allow it.

"No!" Sorceress shouted, using a burst of magic to shove the rifle's barrel just enough.

The bullet smacked into the twisted armor plate inches from Teela's face. She ducked immediately, taking greater care. A shard of metal had slashed a bloody track across the right cheek, dribbling blood.

_Run, Teela! Run!_ The Sorceress' telepathic voice screamed in Teela's head. Without wasting a moment, Teela took off darting through the wreckage keeping as low as possible.

Colonel Markson did not get another clear shot at the enemy commander. Fuming, he turned his angry glare on the Sorceress, who pointed kept her gaze riveted on the battlefield. She knew they would be discussing this later.

The leading canons were now within range. Falcon interrupted with a scan of the Horde units powering up to fire.

Forgetting the incident with the enemy commander for the moment, Colonel Markson said, "Anyone got any bright ideas?"

Before the Sorceress could respond, the world disappeared in a flare of blinding white light. She was no stranger to this world or realm or whatever you wanted to call it. Falcon appeared shortly in the form of Cirandar.

"This isn't the time, Falcon," Sorceress said, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"Time has no meaning in this place, now listen up," Falcon replied, sternly. "The castle is dying. It used up all its power staying sealed until you returned."

Sorceress felt as if she'd just been sucker-punched. "Dying…" she stammered.

"Before you say it, the Pool of Power is entirely separated from the power the Elders left behind. All is not lost, however," Falcon said, brimming with excitement. Her eyes sparkled knowingly. "The castle's power can be replenished, and the Horde will do all the work." Quickly, Falcon explained what she had been working on for the past several minutes. It was extremely risky in that nothing like her plan had ever been attempted, but it was the only real chance they had of ensuring the castle's survival. Reality reasserted itself once Falcon finished explaining her idea, and the Sorceress found that only a few moments of real time had passed.

"We have an idea. It's risky and very dangerous, but we have few options left," Sorceress explained.

"Oh," Colonel Markson said, clearly unconvinced in light of her actions to save that Horde commander from an armor-piercing bullet. "Can't wait to hear it."

Quickly, she explained Falcon's plan. Hawk and Claw volunteered to use a maze of shallow crevasses to get under the hovering canons and infiltrate them through their bellies. The shields the machines were equipped with appeared to end at ground level so the task shouldn't be too difficult. War Wing had already taken a few potshots at the units confirming the strength of those shields.

The Sorceress and her armor would erect a barrier shield over the castle to protect it from enemy fire and absorb the destructive energy for redirection elsewhere. That redirection would be to the crystal chamber deep in the heart of the ancient castle, hopefully to revitalize it.

War Wing and Gatling Arm were to act as support units keeping the reinforcing ground troops occupied while Hawk and Claw did their job of destroying the canons from within. That part of the plan got turned on its ear when Andre Wardman, who had been tasked with keeping a lookout for fighters or raiding parties trying to hit them from their blind sides, spotted a pair of Snake Men stealthily making their way around to the north side to come at them from the castle's rear.

Falcon zeroed in on the indicated location and magnified for the Sorceress to see the snakes so close she could have reached out and touched them. "Reptilons," Sorceress pronounced grimly. "I guess not all of them were destroyed in the last Great War."

"Can we take them?" the colonel asked, using a pair a binoculars to scope out the threat, though the binoculars were not as sophisticated as the armor.

The Sorceress shook her head. "Not unless you can get in touch with your savage side in the next few minutes. And increase your strength and stamina by a factor of ten just to hold your own."

There was only one among them who could do that. One who has already done that several times on this mission. Colonel Markson knew the Guardian armor could tap into the tactical net, so instead of explaining the situation all over again, simply asked Adrian if he could take out their snake problem.

"Go!" Blitzkrieg barked. "We'll keep this party going!" He tossed his remaining laser rifle to Claw, and accepted the massive plasma canon War Wing tossed to him. They would need to firepower to make the planned diversion work.

_What?_ Wing asked, clearly shocked. _No argument? No raging against doing what you were born to be and do?_

_Make a note for later, will ya?_ Adrian answered. _We've got work to do._ Wing did not respond, but Adrian had the distinct impression of approval.

The Reptilons were quietly making their way toward the bottomless moat on the castle's north side. They angled their approach to a jumping off point across from one of the rear spider-like legs that supported the mammoth structure in addition to the central mount point centered underneath. With a running start, the Snake Men easily cleared the chasm to land on the lowest joint of the stone support leg.

Knowing he could not catch the pair by following in their wake, Adrian would have to cut them off before reptiles made it to the east tower. That had to be their destination. With the Sorceress and Colonel Markson up there, taking them out would disrupt the chain of command. To cut them off, Adrian sprinted for the moat to cross over the same way the Snake Men had just done. He timed the leap and transformation perfectly, becoming an Alien while in flight, landed lightly, and took off up the leg and the castle's east side without slowing.

Although Colonel Markson and the Sorceress saw him coming, the creature's sudden appearance over the castellated edge of the tower sent Ensign Wardman into a brief fit of hysterics. Adrian reverted to human form with battle armor, and apologized for his abrupt appearance.

Adrian spied the cache of loaded weapons across the way, and strode quickly over to it. He selected two pulse rifles, checked that they had full magazines and then slapped one to each thigh where they were magnetically locked in place until needed.

As he walked to the north side of the tower to check the progress of the two snakes trying to sneak up on their rear flank, Adrian and the Sorceress exchanged looks which required no words. He was relieved and pleased to see her alive and well. The Sorceress felt the same about him considering the damage a Horde mind sifter usually causes. Neither of them trusted their own voices, so they nodded to each other and then Adrian was off to do battle once more; leaping the castellated wall to land on the narrow ledge at the base of the dome.

The Sorceress and Colonel Markson returned their attention to the artillery canons as they primed their main weapons to fire.

Three beams of intense plasma energy blasted from Horde units straight at Castle Grayskull's eastern tower. The Sorceress threw up her hands, palms outward, and called on all the magical might she had left augmented by the Falcon armor. A powerful dome shield materialized over the castle along the moat's far edge. The plasma bursts slammed harmlessly into the shield, causing ripples in the barrier, but did not break through. While the Sorceress concentrated on maintaining the barrier, Falcon drew in some of the energy to replenish her power cells. The rest was shunted to an entirely different location.

Deep in the bowels of Castle Grayskull where few beings were allowed to go, much less have ever seen, lay the Crystal Chamber. The boundaries of this chamber have never been discovered by any living being. Conceivably, one could fall forever in this chamber, though no one dared try it.

Crystalline structures filled the chamber, spaced equally in rows. Each row was exactly one hundred meters away from the next while each pillar in the row was exactly ten meters away from the next in line. The pillars normally pulsed with vibrant energy, casting blue/white light throughout the visible areas. The crystals gave the appearance of having been grown rather than constructed with large circular platforms spaced forty meters apart in each column. These platforms were interspersed in an offset arrangement that would allow one to leapfrog from one towering column to another throughout the chamber.

And somewhere in this massive chamber lay the most precious and prized possession in the entire universe. The orb of power left behind by the Elders.

At Falcon's direction, the raw power from the Horde mobile artillery units was channeled here. Somewhere in the upper part of the chamber, there was a bright flash followed by the crackling of plasma pouring into the crystalline pillars. Starved for energy from maintaining an impenetrable shield for the past two years, the structures drank greedily of the power shunted into them. For one brief span of several seconds, the entire array of pillars lit up with the intensity they had had only three years before. Abruptly, the energy pouring into them died away and the crystals darkened to their dim, almost lifeless state.


	20. Ch 19

Nineteen

Starship _Eternia_

Eternian Star System

Lieutenant Santana got the repairs accomplished in record time so the _Eternia_ could get back into the fight. Unfortunately, the Horde had time to redeploy to meet the renewed attack.

Their best defense was the starship's agility, which Ace exploited to the point that Captain Majourny considered it a crime. Destroyers fanned out in an attempt to drive them toward the more powerful battlecruisers and the surviving heavy corvette. Scores of fighters swarmed through space, adding their laser fire into the mix. _Eternia_'s shields handled the fighter laser fire with no trouble. Proximity detonations from capital ship weapons, on the other hand, threatened to collapse an entire shield arc.

The Horde equivalent of Earth's torpedoes blazed through space at near light speed. Ace's maneuvers were so tight, and the starship so nimble and quick, the enemy weapons generally could not keep up. If they got within fifty-thousand kilometers, and the torpedo's machine brain recognized it could not catch the Earth ship, it detonated the warhead in an attempt at a proximity hit.

Ace's maneuvering forced the enemy into acts of desperation. Instead of showing restraint when the _Eternia_ darted in close to a Horde ship, they kept firing instead. Scores of fighters exploded in brief fireballs before the vacuum of space snuffed them out. Capital ships took significant damage while attempting to stop the Earth ship. The end result was three destroyers and one battlecruiser lost to friendly fire.

Unfortunately for the _Eternia_, the Horde quickly analyzed their battle tactics and was able to begin anticipating the maneuvers. _Eternia_ began taking more damage even as another Horde destroyer exploded due to friendly fire. The shields began to fail rapidly while the hyperdrive, dorsal gun, and railgun systems shorted out. The ventral quad guns fell silent when the power coupling fried. The shields and sub-light engines were not far behind. Etherium armor was pounded relentlessly as the surviving corvette, backed up by two battlecruisers and a destroyer, soared in for the kill.

_Eternia_ was left with only emergency battery power when the Horde warships finally ceased firing. The ship drifted listlessly as the Horde capital ships blocked off every avenue of escape.

Commander Franik ordered a com channel opened to the Earth ship. "Your shields and weapons are gone. Your power systems are badly damaged. Surrender and I shall spare whatever lives are still left on your ship, captain."

Jo-jo opened her side of the link, allowing the Horde commander to see just a little of the bridge atmosphere. The man's face materialized in the air above the navigation and helm stations. Captain Majourny allowed him to see the damage his capital ships had done. Red emergency lights glowed dimly in the background, casting shadows everywhere. Acrid smoke drifted lazily in the air because the ventilation system was temporarily down. Until auxiliary power was restored, breathing was somewhat uncomfortable.

"I will never surrender this ship and crew to stunted slime like you," Jo-jo hissed. She was never one for diplomacy in combat situations. Colonel Markson's concept of 'aggressive negotiations' sprang to mind, however.

Franik arched an eyebrow. "Really, captain. There is no need for such hostility. I can assure you that you and your crew will be treated fairly."

Jo-jo snorted. "Yes. General Rongar showed us a small amount of Horde 'fairness' when we last met. Pass." She turned to the right-hand panel, tapped several keys. "Computer. Activate auto-destruct system."

The computer complied, requesting the necessary command codes from the captain, tactical officer, and science officer. Commander Franik watched from his command bridge as all three verbally input the commands as directed.

AWAITING FINAL COMMAND CODE FOR SIXTY-SECOND COUNTDOWN.

Glancing at the main monitor, Captain Majourny delivered the final command, "Zero-zero-zero-destruct-zero."

COMMAND ACCEPTED. BEGINNING SIXTY-SECOND COUNTDOWN.

Franik's calm demeanor slipped a little as the computer began the countdown. "You are prepared to destroy yourselves so easily and uselessly?"

"If I were you," Jo-jo warned evenly, "I'd be getting to a safe distance. We might take a few more of your ships with us when we go up."

Franik considered Jo-jo's words, came to a decision when the robot manned the sensor station shouted an alarm. On his monitor displaying the local space, the velvet backdrop of stars began shimmering above and about one-million kilometers rim-ward. A rip in hyperspace was forming practically on top of them, as spatial distances went.

Lieutenant Satori sounded the alarm as the object fired a blue-white beam at the nearest Horde warship. The energy lance pierced the starship's shields like they weren't even raised, and sliced the aft one-third of the space frame clean off. Despite the clear indication of weapons fire, _Eternia_'s sensors could not lock onto the alien starship. The Horde appeared to be having similar difficulties.

Warship commanders ordered their crews to begin firing blindly at the Intruder, which was clearly equipped with some sort of advanced sensor cloak in addition to its hull being painted blacker than space itself. One by one, Horde ships died after a devastating strike from the Intruder starship. The heavy corvette took two sweeping laser strikes, gutting it like a fish.

The com link to Commander Franik's starship winked out abruptly, timed with the fiery demise of his vessel.

Exploding vessels lit up local space as the remaining fighters fought back. The robot pilots had to rely on their visual sensors because the Intruder's sensor cloak blinded all other systems. Horde Bat Mech fighters darted and swarmed around the black starship like annoying nats. No one could be entirely sure how it happened, but it appeared they were all blown out of the vacuum in a matter of heartbeats.

As quickly as the one-sided battle began, it was over with smoldering pieces of ship, and a veritable sea of wreckage where ten powerful warships had been.

Jo-jo squinted through the transparent canopy to get a glimpse of the Intruder starship as their sensors still could not lock onto it. The alien vessel soared gracefully up on _Eternia_ effortlessly from above. It crossed over the Earth ship's bow, seemed to pause for a moment and then shot off into the night on mighty sub-light drives. A hyperspace window opened, and the ship was gone.

"Tell me you got that," Jo-jo hissed, breathless at the sight of their good fortune.

Novina double-checked her boards before replying, "Aye, captain. I got it. Whatever the sensors could actually see."

"Looks like Queen Elmora came through after all," Ace murmured.

"Stow it," Jo-jo commanded a little more sternly than she had intended. "We don't know that for sure."

"Captain, the auto-destruct," Lieutenant Denton reminded Jo-jo pointedly. He had to be a little more forceful as the countdown dropped below 'ten'.

Snapping out of her fog, Jo-jo ordered the computer to cancel the destruct sequence.

DOES THE TACTICAL OFFICER CONCUR?

"Yes, I do indeed concur," Harley said quickly, sweating bullets.

AUTO-DESTRUCT – CANCELLED.

Captain Majourny swiveled her chair around to face her tactical officer, a whimsical smile tugging at her lips. "A simple 'yes' would have sufficed, Harley."

Cracking a wide grin, Harley replied, "I just didn't want there to be any misunderstanding."

Shaking her head, Jo-jo called the engine room and ordered the chief engineer to get whatever power he could back on-line so they could go support their people fighting for their lives on the ground. No sooner had she issued the order than auxiliary power came back. They had minimal shields and the main drives were at a little over half power, but it would be enough. Lieutenant Santana promised to have some of their energy weapons powered up by the time they arrived at Castle Grayskull. Provided the captain did not order any power dives like the last time.

Jo-jo promised to go easier this time, and ordered Ace to get them moving.

Castle Grayskull

Teela found an abandoned windraider during her flight from the battle. Any rational being would have taken it and withdrawn back to base, but Teela did not do so. Instead, she wove her way around to the east to a vantage point where she was well out of range of any errant weapons fire. She stayed close enough to monitor the fighting with a pair of electro-binoculars someone had left in the windraider.

The opening volley of the second act was fired by the mobile artillery units. A powerful energy shield materialized over the ancient castle moments before the beams of plasma would have struck. They slammed harmlessly into the magical barrier, pulsed into it as the unit commanders threw the entire charge into the attack, and then the beams died away. The shield dropped immediately, as if to taunt the attackers.

Training the binoculars briefly on the command deck windows of the nearest mobile unit, Teela observed frantic activity there. Whatever had happened, she had the feeling it was something more than her mother erecting a shield to defend the castle.

Teela returned her attention to the castle's defenders, specifically, the north end where the Reptilons King Hiss had sent out were slowly making their way along the spine toward the unsuspecting Earthers.

The Reptilons cautiously crept along the castle's spine on guard for any surprise attack. None came as the pair neared the eastern tower where the Sorceress and her companions stood directing the defense of Castle Grayskull. King Hiss had sent the best of the few remaining Reptilons for this strike. Sidewinder and Thrasher were exactly that – the best.

Their exploits over the past ten years were the stuff of nightmares. The brutality depicted in some Earth movies was nothing compared to what Sidewinder and Thrasher had done. Or were about to do. The Earthers were so totally unaware of their presence that the snakes practically knew they were going to make short work of the enemy.

The pair paused to get their bearings, having lost sight of theirintended targets upon reaching within fifty yards of the east tower. They checked to be sure no one had seen the Reptilons approaching, did not spot anyone observing them, and returned their attention to the dome straight ahead.

There at the dome's base stood a creature unlike anything they had ever heard of, much less seen. Both serpents swore it had not been standing there moments before when they had searched for unwanted observers. But there it stood staring, waiting for them. Sidewinder and Thrasher knew instantly that the route to the defenders on the east tower went straight through this monster.

So be it.

The Reptilons split up to make it more difficult for the creature. It leapt from the ledge to meet the snakes several meters away. Sidewinder and Thrasher drew their swords from sheathes strapped to their backs, and attacked. The monster blocked the stabs, cuts, chops, swipes; everything the reptiles threw at it. They danced about the creature, dodging and weaving, taking blows in stride even as their opponent pushed them back toward the north end of the castle.

Once a safe distance away from the east tower, Adrian ratcheted the battle's intensity up a few notches. Sidewinder and Thrasher suddenly found themselves on the receiving end of what they had been dishing out to their enemies for years. No quarter given. None taken.

Ensign Wardman peeked over the edge of the tower wall, saw the intense fight, and snatched up a pulse rifle. He would have rolled over the wall, but Catherine O'Rourke yanked him back.

"Let go of me! I'm going to help him!"

"Stand down, ensign!" Catherine growled. "He's doing his job so we have to do ours. Now grab a missile and keep watching for fighters."

Reluctantly, Wardman turned away from the fierce battle taking place out on the castle's spine to search the skies for enemy craft.

Adrian hammered, kicked, clobbered, and punched the Reptilons toward the back of the castle. He moved with all the quickness and agility of a veteran fighter despite the ungainly appearance of his transformed body.

Sidewinder tumbled away from a kick to the chin which literally sent the snake flying head over heels. The brackish monster turned its attention on Thrasher, and began beating him backwards. Thrasher was hard-pressed to avoid the deadly bone claws while trying to find a weak spot in his opponent to get his sword into. Alone against the beast until his companion got back on his feet and into the fight, Thrasher vowed to do some kind of damage before the monster killed him.

Sidewinder quickly rolled to his feet, retrieved his lost sword, and turned to rejoin to fight.

Adrian dealt a powerful stroke to Thrasher's chin with his left hand, right arm already cocked back. The blow left the serpent dazed long enough to slam the bone claws on his arm into and through the creature's belly. Daze turned to shock, and then disbelief as Thrasher slowly came to realize he had just been mortally wounded. Thrasher's sword dropped to his side as all his strength poured out of him, though the weapon remained caught in a loose grip.

The brackish horror shoved Thrasher backward; the momentum of tumbling off the north edge of the castle ripped the claws from his belly. Teela shivered uncontrollably as she watched the dying Reptilon take the plunge into the bottomless gorge surrounding the castle. Reptilons were notoriously difficult to kill, and this shape-changing human had just bested one in fewer than two minutes!

_What have you gotten yourself into, Mother?_ Teela thought furiously, as the second Reptilon stalked the changeling monster.

Sidewinder elevated the battle even further, if that was possible. He and Thrasher had been a team for countless years. Their bond was uncommon among the Snake Men where one looked after one's self and no one else. To see Thrasher defeated in only a few minutes spoke volumes about this castle's defender, and pointed out just how dangerous these outlanders really were. General Rattlor had added his warning about the human changeling, but his warning did not do the human justice.

The remaining Reptilon darted in a seemly hap-hazardous manner, but that was the ruse. Sidewinder knew what he was about, and struck like lightning. Eternian steel punctured the soft spot along the ribs on his opponent's left side, drawing blood. However, because the gap between carapace plates was so narrow, the sword tip failed to do anything more serious than enrage the creature.

Adrian lashed out with a backhand that should have ripped the snake's head off, but the serpent saw it coming and ducked under the swing. He came face-to-face with the right fist traveling low and inside, slamming Sidewinder square in the forehead. Spots exploded before the Reptilon's eyes as he staggered to get away and regroup. Adrian wasn't going to give him the chance. He realized early in the fight how much more dangerous this offshoot of the Snake Men was, that even a slight opening was enough for these creatures to capitalize on.

Thus, the conflict was as fierce and pitched as the ground battle continuing to play out south and east of the castle.

Adrian and Sidewinder pummeled each other mercilessly. Sidewinder grew increasingly frustrated with his foe's ability to block Eternian steel with his carapace armor. Sparks flew at each impact, further vexing the Snake Man. The distraction allowed Adrian to clamp both hands to the flat sides of the sword blade, trapping the weapon in a veritable vise from which Sidewinder could not withdraw. The Reptilon tried in vain to maintain control of the blade as the creature methodically twisted until he finally lost his grip. Adrian hurled the weapon away and quickly moved in for the kill. He drove the snake toward the back of the castle, hammering away with fists and bone claws.

This battle had to be terminated soon so Adrian could get back to helping his companions trying to hold off the Horde re-enforcements. The unmistakable sound of energy canons discharging blasted across the battlefield, but Adrian couldn't spare a moment to look. If he did, this snake would kill him.

However, a momentary lapse was all Sidewinder needed to slip in under Adrian's guard. The Reptilon hooked a firm grip on his monstrous foe, twisted, and threw him over the northern edge of the castle.

_They're getting ready to fire again,_ Falcon warned the Sorceress.

"I can't maintain a complete shield over the castle with some many points of attack," Sorceress said grimly. She was trying not to think about how exhausting her battle with King Hiss had been.

"Then don't," Ensign Wardman blurted. All eyes turned upon him, and he swallowed nervously. "Umm…that is…I mean the canons are the biggest threat, right? Why not just maintain a shield in that direction while we cover the other approaches? Our re-enforcements will be here any moment to take more of the burden off us." _I hope,_ he added silently.

The Sorceress looked at the colonel, who shrugged, saying, "I got nothing better."

"I have to admit it's a tactic I would never have considered," Sorceress admitted.

"You should read up on Sun Tsu," Colonel Markson suggested. "It makes for interesting reading."

"You mean after Adrian finally pestered you into doing so?" Sorceress replied with a slight smile.

Suddenly uncomfortable, Jon said, "No. General Hammond ordered me to read it. It's a new training plan for his commanders to study history's greatest tacticians."

_I _hate_ to break up the Great Tactical Debate, but we _do _have a battle to win, here,_ Falcon pointed out irritably. _They are priming to fire._

Sorceress snapped back to the canons getting ready to fire another volley. Colonel Markson ordered O'Rourke and Wardman to look alive for fighters and anything else that might take a shot at them.

Three mobile canons discharged as one. The roar rippled across the battlefield like the sonic boom of a passing aircraft as plasma beams sped toward their intended target. The Sorceress threw up a much smaller shield this time; one covering just enough area to intercept all three beams at the far side of the chasm.

As before, the Sorceress concentrated on maintaining the shield while Falcon channeled the energy into the massive Crystal Chamber. Tendrils of plasma energy crackled down the towering line structures. The recharge lasted a bit longer this time due to the other mobile canons grinding to a halt within range, and adding their fire to the first three. Sorceress sweated profusely inside the armor as she struggled to maintain the shield wall under the stresses hammering at her.

After what seemed like an eternity, the plasma beams died away with the draining of the canon capacitors. Combat on the battlefield between the canons and Castle Grayskull renewed in earnest. Quaedians pounded away at troopers while those armed with energy weapons blasted futilely away at drones.

Railguns speared enemy troops with slugs traveling at near the speed of light with impunity. Although woefully overmatched, the felines did not break. They pressed the attack harder with each Quaedian killed or wounded. King Carnivus spurred his warriors on from the jawbridge while Kittrina rallied her troops from the enemy's left flank.

Kittrina bled profusely from a railgun round that had grazed her left thigh, and various shrapnel hits around the torso, but she hardly noticed. Quaedians were natural born hunters, trained from the time they took their first steps until adulthood. So it was only natural that a proud warrior like Kittrina did not like being shown up by outworlders with their fancy armor and strange weapons.

Unfortunately, such pride also tended to make one reckless.

Guardian Claw didn't help her state of mind any by rescuing her from a drone that had her dead in its sights. Claw sent her a lofty salute and then moved off with Guardian Hawk toward the mobile canons. Brad came up with a daring idea which Sonja approved of.

The pair slithered along the channels carved into the landscape by rivers dried up long ago. They made the perfect cover to sneak up on the enemy undetected. While the canons were overpowered for their size, they did not posses any kind of energy shields. Even if they did, the shields would not extend into the dry riverbed that several of the units were parked over on a cushion of anti-grav power. Thus, Claw and Hawk boldly walked under the massive armored hull without anyone the wiser.

Suit sensors picked out the best place to attempt breaking into the unit. Hawk used her beam spear to slice a circular piece of armor from the belly where the sensors indicated it was thinnest. Claw used his arm extensions to guide the plate safely out and discarded it. Brad's forward image shifted to starlight mode. Ghostly shapes of pipes and bulkheads materialized before his eyes. With Claw's help, Brad carefully selected a beam that would not collapse under the stress of the arm extensions, shot one into the hole, and lifted himself inside.

Once assured the compartment he was in was free of unwanted eyes, Brad shot an extension down through the hole and lift Hawk up to join him. Together, the Guardians set off in search of the canon's power core.

The expected re-enforcements from the _Eternia_ finally arrived on the battlefield. The remaining APC was dropped off several miles north of Castle Grayskull. After releasing the armored carrier, the parent craft flew cover as the vehicle charged into battle.

Hohiro's dropship was of a different design than the others. While one had been retrofitted to carry Adrian's War Machine vehicle, and the other two had been built to the standard specifications for carrying the APCs, the last dropship in their arsenal had been built to carry troops directly into battle, like the Huey helicopters used in the Vietnam War. As they closed in on the ancient castle, the sounds of battle reached the troops through the open side hatches over the roaring rush of air.

They witnessed the first massive assault against the castle by the mobile canons. The other dropships made strafing runs against the armored behemoths, but the hull armor was too thick for their weapons to punch through. Hohiro wondered why they didn't use missiles or bombs against such massive targets until he glimpsed empty upper and lower armament racks. All those pilots had left were the twenty-millimeter guns under the ship's noses.

The private standing next to Hohiro nudged him and pointed toward the castle. "Is that who I think it is, sir?"

Squinting, the oriental stared hard at the fight starting along the castle's spine. "Yes, it's him," the captain confirmed. _Getting into trouble, as usual,_ he thought ruefully. "Set a fire team down on the west tower to watch for fighters."

Hohiro issued orders to the remaining troops as the dropship pilot swooped in to deliver the team to the castle's west tower. Once offloaded, Hohiro was dropped off along to castle's spine so he could support Adrian, if needed. Then the pilot took off to deliver the remaining troops and badly needed munitions and weapons to the foot of the ramp leading up to the jawbridge.

Teela winced as missiles and ballistic weapons slammed into the nearest canon. Although the weapons did little damage to the machine's thick armor, the attack did draw enemy fire away from the valiant Quaedians. Ignoring the nearer conflict, the former Captain of the Royal Guard returned her attention to the castle.

The remaining Reptilon cautiously looked over the north edge where he had thrown his adversary. He found nothing, and assumed the creature had fallen into the bottomless chasm surrounding the castle. However, Sidewinder had no clue of the danger about to befall him. Teela spotted the same spider-like creature from several days ago crawling out from underneath the supported structure on the east side. This was the same beast which had given Evil-lyn such a scare.

Adrian had just managed to catch his bone claws in the ancient outer wall to swing him up underneath the castle. He stuck to the structure's belly in the Alien form, and quickly scampered toward the east side. He crested the eastern wall only thirty seconds after Sidewinder had supposedly thrown him to his death.

Sensing danger at the last possible moment, the Reptilon swung about with his sword leading the way. The Alien screamed as the Snake Man's sword hacked off the wicked point of its tail. Angrier than anything else at the loss of the twelve-inch tip, the creature whipped the abbreviated tail about like a serpent try to mesmerize its prey, and sprayed acid at the unsuspecting snake. Sidewinder threw up his arms to protect himself from what he assumed was venom.

His astonishment gave way to searing pain as the acid quickly dissolved through armor to the vulnerable flesh it protected. The Alien snapped into motion, changing shape as it moved. The stocky monster Sidewinder fought earlier slammed bodily into him before he could bring his sword into a defensible position. The Reptilon's eyes bulged when he suddenly found it impossible to breath. A brief piercing pain lanced through his chest, and was followed by a spreading numbness. The sword clanged to the stones, slipping from nerveless fingers.

Knowledge that he was dead finally dawned on Sidewinder as the creature skewering him ripped the claws from his chest. His world blackened as he tumbled off the castle into the yawning chasm below.

Explosions from impacting missiles echoed within the armored hull of the mobile canon. Hawk and Claw glanced at one another as they neared the engineering spaces of the mobile canon they had infiltrated.

Annoyed, Brad opened a channel on the Guardian Force tactical frequency. "Whoever is knocking out there cut it out. We're handling this canon. Shift your sights."

"Brad?" an unfamiliar voice responded. "Is that you?"

"No. I'm his evil twin. Yes, it's me. Now shift your targets." Brad closed the channel before the man on the other end could object.

The Guardians pressed onward into the engineering section. Robots of various types never seen before by human eyes went about their business maintaining the power needs of the canon. Despite the amount of machinery packed into the massive space, and the amount of robots moving about, the pair literally just walked in unobserved. It didn't take them long to locate the massive reactor at the center of the chamber that powered the canon.

"That is it," Hawk said in a hushed tone. "Should make a pretty explosion."

"Yeah," Claw agreed. "Shouldn't take too much to blow it sky high."

The intruders were finally noticed by a maintenance robot, who promptly sounded the alarm. Hawk and Claw literally tore into any robots and machinery between them and the fusion core. They were not going to destroy the core itself, however. The resulting immediate explosion would vaporize them despite the durability of the Etherium alloy their armor was constructed of. Instead, the Guardians targeted the control systems keeping the controlled reaction in check.

Claw used his arm extensions to keep maintenance robots at bay while Hawk drew a bead on the primary control panel with her borrowed laser rifle. Two blasts turned the panel into a smoking, sparking, charred ruin. New alarms began blaring as the fusion reactor lost containment.

Mission completed, the Guardians fought their way out of the engineering spaces and made their way back to the hole. A few troopers showed up as the pair was preparing to drop through to the ground below. Neither one bothered to return fire as their suit sensors scanned the canon's core going critical.

Explosions further aft rocked the vehicle, diverting the troopers' attention away from the Guardians. Hawk and Claw scrambled through the ancient riverbed into the daylight. As soon as they emerged, Brad began broadcasting a warning across the Guardian Force tactical net for everyone within range to get clear and take cover.

Falcon calmly informed the Sorceress of the impending blast radius and suggested absorbing as much of the power as possible with a shield. Sorceress wasn't sure she could effectively split her attention like and hold both shields intact. Falcon calmly told Sorceress to concentrate on maintaining the shields while she shunted the power into the Crystal Chamber.

There was no more time for debate as the canon's core went critical. Sorceress threw up two shields. One flared up on the far side of the chasm to block the incoming fire from the three units in range, and the second was erected in a location on the battlefield to block the explosive force away from the allies still engaged against the Horde troopers.

Teela dropped the electro-binoculars onto the seat beside her, lit off the windraider's engines, and slammed the throttles wide open. Hohiro sprinted down the castle's spine as fast as his legs would carry him. He reached Adrian as explosions began ripping the mobile canon apart. Hohiro grabbed Adrian, who had reverted to human form and sunk to his knees in exhaustion, dragged him bodily to the stones, and threw himself over the man as the fusion core exploded.

To the Sorceress' amazement, both of her magic shields held, and she found it easier to concentrate on maintaining them than she had feared. Falcon routed the massive influx of raw power into the Crystal Chamber. The tactic worked better than expected, though a large amount of energy from the explosion was lost because the shield deflected it away to the northeast.

Pieces of armor rained down all over the place as the oily fireball climbed high into the afternoon sky. Combatants on both sides dove for cover until the lethal hail subsided. Smoke from the burning remains of the mobile canon drifted across the landscape adding one more hazard to battlefield.

On the positive side, the other canon commanders paused to consider what they had just witnessed. Somehow the enemy managed to take out a unit without launching a massive assault due to the thick hull armor. And then there was the unexplained power drain every time they fired on the castle.

The commanders concluded it must be the Sorceress draining away the canon energy into the castle. But what could possibly be inside that can take and store that kind of power? More importantly, how much longer could the Sorceress continue to perform such impossible feats before her strength was drained? What she was doing _had_ to be taking a toll on her.

Their minds were made up when the canon on the north end of their skirmish line erupted in a spectacular explosion. The recharge rate was increased to maximum to test their theory that the Sorceress could not maintain Castle Grayskull's defense for much longer.

Once more, power drained away as the Sorceress blocked their attack. When the glow of the plasma beams faded away, battle renewed all around the heavy artillery units. One of the last two machines to arrive suddenly stopped dead in its tracks when Guardian Blitzkrieg blast a plasma shot through the canon's command deck. With the control systems destroyed it became thousands of tons of jump metal.

Two tanks shot at Blitzkrieg a split second after his surprise attack on the heavy machine. The explosion rocked his world, flinging him back toward the castle. Unfortunately, he lost his grip on the plasma rifle in the process. Gatling Arm turned his guns on the tanks, making short work of the tanks in seconds while Blitzkrieg got back on is feet.

Shown the way, the newly arrived dropships targeted the command decks of the remaining canons. The other unit, slow in arriving to the scene of battle, took several direct hits from small, but powerful, plasma missiles. However, the Horde was not without another nasty surprise. Panels concealing anti-aircraft batteries slid open as the enemy ships soared away to make another run.

The quartet of dropships flew straight into the teeth of murderous laser fire and a curtain of missiles. Three of the ships broke off their run almost immediately, choosing to break off rather than risk certain destruction. One ship was an instant too slow, however. The ship that had delivered Hohiro and his troops and supplies to the castle did not turn in time. A swarm of missiles intersected the dropship well short of its lethal range, and blew it apart. Flaming pieces rained down deep in the Evergreen Forest.

"You okay?" Jake asked Jeromy as the pair fell back on the castle.

"Fine," Jeromy grumbled, still searching for the lost plasma rifle. Adrian was going to kill him, if he didn't locate it. The roar of lasers and missiles drew his attention skyward. When the dropship exploded, he added, "This is getting serious."

The Sorceress repelled the last combined blast from the mobile canons, but the strain was beginning to show. She had almost lost control of the shield that time. The next time her concentration might collapse completely. Falcon was reluctant to agree. The task of redirecting the plasma bursts into the Crystal Chamber took its toll on her circuits. After each successful attempt, circuits burned up forcing Falcon to re-route critical functions. The damage was repairable, and would be taken care of once she was able to shut down and go into regeneration mode.

"I've reached my limit," Sorceress sighed, exhausted beyond anything she had ever experienced. Slumping against the stone castellations, she added, "I can't keep the shield up. The next attack will get through."

"We've got to neutralize those canons," Colonel Markson said grimly.

"That anti-aircraft fire is too heavy for the dropships to get in close," O'Rourke reported. "Feril says there is no way they can get in close without getting blown out of the sky."

"C'mon, Jo-jo," Jon muttered. "We could really use your guns about now."

Deep in the heart of Castle Grayskull a metamorphosis of a sort was taking place. Sufficient plasma had been shunted into the towering crystalline structures that the energy began to feed upon itself and grow. The effect was not unlike the way the Guardian armor recharged when not drained below fifteen percent of their power cell capacity.

A glow slowly began filtering up from below. Platforms by the dozens started to brighten as the heart revitalized. The Spirit of Grayskull oversaw the recharge to ensure it did not get out of control and damage the crystal conduits. The Spirit kept a light touch with the Sorceress so it would know if something happened which needed its attention.

The conversation between the Sorceress and her armor was known to the Spirit. It knew she would weaken sooner or later, and had planned ahead. The power level in the Crystal Chamber continued to increase and would soon be at the required level. At that point, the Spirit of Grayskull planned to borrow a tactic from the Earth warriors.

All that was needed was a few more minutes for the castle to be capable of protecting itself for the first time since the death of King Grayskull.

Hohiro rolled off of Adrian and got to his feet while Adrian slowly rose to a kneeling position. Pieces of the exploded canon continued to fall, though none landed near the castle.

"You took long enough," Adrian chided, smiling weakly. The fight with the Reptilons had taken more out of him than he had suspected.

"Well, you know me. I like to make an entrance," the oriental replied sheepishly. "I knew you could do it," he added soberly.

Adrian did not have to ask what the captain was referring to. They had had this discussion often enough in the past. His attention was diverted by a frantically waving Ensign Wardman on the eastern tower. A small window appeared on the inner surface of his visor. At Adrian's direction, the image magnified until he could clearing see what the young man was doing. Wardman was waving and pointing at something to the north.

Adrian banished the image and whirled about. Hohiro tensed and joined him at the north edge. About five miles distant, a Horde fighter was attempting to sneak up on the defenders from behind. The reason for the ensign's frantic waving quickly became apparent.

The fighter was flying too close to the ground for anyone on either tower to get off a clean missile shot at them. By the time they did, the fighter would be upon them and blasting away with their laser canons. Somehow those fighters would have to be forced to a higher altitude where a missile could be fired into it.

Without a first thought, Adrian snatched the rifles from where they remained magnetically locked to his thighs, thumbed off the safety levers, and took aim. Hohiro darted around to Adrian's left side and mimicked his move.

Standard issue pulse rifles only had three settings; safe, semi or single shot, and burst which fired off three rounds. The Guardian Force was supplied with modified weapons having a fourth setting – full-auto. This would allow them to throw up streams of bullets to create small-arms hazards for enemy fighters.

Shooting at enemy craft was another business altogether. One could not shoot directly at the craft by virtue of it being a moving target. The idea is simple: throw up a spray of bullets and let the target craft fly _into_ them. It wasn't nearly as easy as it sounds, as Adrian found out in the simulators, but it could be done.

Adrian aimed one rifle slightly high and the other slightly low so that whether the fighter dived or gained altitude, it would fly into ten-millimeter rounds. Jets of flame nearly six-inches long belched from the muzzles. He wouldn't have been able to hold the bucking weapons in place, however, without the help of the power armor.

Hohiro stood ready to add his fire at the right time. He was betting the robot pilots wouldn't veer to their left, which would carry them over the battlefield. Instead, they would veer to their right and gain altitude. This would present his fire team on the west tower with a belly-shot.

Sparks flew off the fighter's armor, indicating some of Adrian's rounds were hitting home. Although the armor-piercing bullets were not penetrating, they did force the robots to make the choice of whether to continue in and risk an explosive round hitting something vital, or break off.

They chose to break off less than half a mile from the castle. The fighter banked and powered up and away to the west; just as Hohiro had hoped. The oriental took aim and squeezed off a steady stream of rounds into the fighter as it continued to bank and climb. A missile roared in from the south to slam into the fighter's exposed belly. Three feet of each wingtip lazily spinning toward the ground were all that was left of the literally vaporized craft.

"Let's go see where we can cause more damage, eh?" Hohiro said, grinning broadly.

"Right," Adrian replied, not sure he wanted to know what his friend had in mind.

Two quick jumps with the armor's wings and backpack thrusters landed the pair on the east tower. War Wing shrank itself down to the combat armor mode without any prompting from Adrian, who reloaded the pulse rifles.

"Looks like you've been having fun," Hohiro commented upon seeing the battlefield clearly for the first time.

Colonel Markson made a sour look, and the Sorceress pointedly looked away. Clearly, Hohiro had struck a nerve and decided to let the matter drop.

The Sorceress slumped to the floor of the tower, completely drained. She did not know what else to do. The Quaedians were being routed back toward the castle along with the four platoons of humans. The Guardians down on the field fought a rear guard action to give the withdrawing forces time to reach safety. They had to bail Kittrina out several times when she refused to withdraw, choosing instead to attack. Jake Rockwell was a hardheaded as any Army non-com who ever served, but even he wasn't crazy enough to charge into the teeth of the strong Horde force still facing them.

The last stragglers made it across the jawbridge into the relative safety of Castle Grayskull when the surviving canons opened fire. The four beams never struck the intended target. Everyone on the tower cringed in anticipation of the end, and was surprised when they were still breathing. A cascading barrier of blue/green energy formed a dome over the entire castle along the far edge of the bottomless mote. The jawbridge had closed just in time or it would have been cut in half when the barrier went up.

Waves rippled out from the impact points as the plasma beams struggled to penetrate. The defenders stared at the sight in awe with a touch of fear. Naturally, all eyes turned to the Sorceress, who leaned heavily on Adrian's shoulders for support.

"Not my doing," she said, mystified.

_I am doing it, Guardian of Grayskull,_ the Spirit of Grayskull answered. _Thanks to you I now have the power to protect this sanctuary and its secrets once more._

The Sorceress explained what was happening and who was doing it, but since no one but herself had seen the Spirit of Grayskull, her companions were understandably skeptical.

A flurry of activity could be seen behind the command deck view ports of each mobile canon. The Sorceress surmised they were experiencing yet another power drain, and could not figure out a way to prevent it. A tight smile graced her lips at the thought.

The unit at the back of the loose formation suddenly erupted in a massive fireball, the shriek of tearing metal blasted across the landscape, and flaming shards of armor plate rained down on a heavily littered battlefield.

Twin booms preceded a massive shape streaking across the southern sky. It was lost momentarily behind the oily smoke staining the sky, reappearing suddenly, swinging around to the north. More booms rumbled the atmosphere as the starship dropped to subsonic speeds. Several surviving fighters altered course to intercept, breaking off pursuit of the Earth dropships.

The starship continued to approach, swinging around to the west, now. As the fighters drew within range, laser bolts punched holes in the air, a furious exchange ensuing. Thick bolts of coherent light lanced out from the top and bottom of the starship, quickly followed by the unmistakable sounds of quad guns. Fighters were blasted into junk without the starship's pilot slowing any more than was necessary.

Graceful as a swan coming in for a water landing, the starship _Eternia_ soared in, clearing the treetops by less than fifty feet. The defenders of Castle Grayskull noted the many scars from the pitched space battle _Eternia_ had managed to survive.

Captain Majourny's commanding voice cut across the tactical net as she addressed the Horde forces. "Horde commander, cease your hostilities and return to Palace Eternia. Castle Grayskull will not be yours today or any other day."

A humanoid voice responded almost immediately. "We will not allow this castle and its secrets to fall into the hands of inferior people from some backwater planet."

Normally, Jo-jo would have bristled at such an insult, but she chose a different approach this time. "You have no support coming from orbit, commander. Commander Franik is dead, and all of his warships are now drifting wreckage," she calmly informed the Horde commander.

"I don't believe you. There is no way you could have destroyed the entire task force."

"Call them," Jo-jo invited politely.

The humanoid in charge of the surviving enemy forces did just that. Several attempts to contact the orbiting warships went unanswered. The man returned his attention to small screen with the enemy commander's image on it.

"Do you believe me now?" Captain Majourny asked. "Good. Cease your attack and depart now, and I won't destroy you."

The Horde still had a numerical advantage, however, the powerful energy dome and the unexplained power drains made it virtually impossible for them to complete Commander Franik's order to destroy castle Grayskull if they could not capture it. The analysis of the attack on mobile unit five final appeared on another screen. It had been struck by a high-explosive warhead of a type he had never seen before. It wasn't a trademark plasma torpedo the Earthers were known to use, but the results had been just as lethal.

On the other hand, which the Earth ship may have expended all of its plasma weapons, it was quite clear they still had powerful weapons in their magazines. Then there was the strange energy readings coming from the castle itself. It had been dormant for many years, but now it emitted an energy signature that was literally off the scale. Something strange was going on here which Horde Prime needed to be aware of. Dying in a useless continuation of a battle that had inexplicably turned against would be a fruitless waste of resources.

So the humanoid chose to risk the wrath of both Horde Prime and King Hiss by ordering his remaining forces to stand down and withdraw.

_Eternia_ hovered over the field of carnage, keeping a wary eye on the withdrawing Horde force until it was well out of striking range. A few of the fighters attempted suicide runs at either the starship or castle, now that the magical shield had been lowered, but all were quickly dispatched with a missile or a burst from the quad guns.

With the withdrawal of the enemy forces an eerie peace settled upon the battlefield that was somehow more unnerving than the fighting had been.


	21. Epilogue

Epilogue

Castle Grayskull

Graylands, Eternia

12 June 2017

Gabriel Burns started a project a year after the Sorceress arrived on Earth involving establishing communication links through small magical time/space portals. He worked out the technology side of the project while the Sorceress completed the mystic end. The end result was a pair of devises which 'might' work given the right conditions. Gabe nearly jumped out of his skin then the devise that had spent the better part of a year on his desk suddenly crackled to life. Several hours later, the Sorceress opened a portal to Earth so that Gabe could fulfill his dream of visiting her home.

She was surprised when General Hammond stepped through the portal first, Gabe following close behind, and then the portal dissolved. The trio spent the next two hours going over the interesting sights inside the ancient castle. The Sorceress even took them briefly into the revitalized Crystal Chamber. The tour ended with the same demonstration she had done for Lieutenant Garber several days ago with the different sized boxes to show the size difference within and without the castle.

"Don't even pretend like you understood that," Jo-jo warned Colonel Markson. The pair had wandered over when the Sorceress started her explanation of the trans-dimensional laws governing the interior.

"Who? Me?"

"Yes, you. I have nearly finished a PhD in physics and even _I_ don't understand this Trans-dimensional Law."

Gabe was escorted to the museum where all sorts of technology was on display. He heeded the Sorceress' warning not to get carried away, and then guided General Hammond, Colonel Markson, and Captain Majourny to the small library in the west tower.

The debriefing lasted for hours even though they didn't go into great detail except where requested by Hammond. The unknown starship that had showed up at just the right moment was a disturbing issue the scientists would debate for months. The issue the Sorceress dreaded the entire time finally came up. Her intervention when Colonel Markson was going to shoot Teela. She had been debating how to explain without revealing the secret of her relationship with the warrior woman.

General Hammond looked slightly uncomfortable especially since he knew he had to broach the subject.

The Sorceress solved the dilemma for him, saying, "Just say it, General. We have never danced around subjects in the past two years. Why start now?"

"As you wish. I am concerned with the incident regarding the enemy commander," General Hammond paused to collect his thoughts before continuing. "You knew when we started those sympathizers from Eternia, Etheria, and other planets might be encountered. Some might even turn out to be people you know. Do you know this enemy commander?"

There was no getting around it now. General Hammond was too smart for that. And he was the last person she would want to lie to, if she could ever lie to anyone.

"Yes, I know her. She used to be Captain of the Royal Guard when King Randor was in power," Sorceress answered.

"She got a name?" Colonel Markson prodded.

"Teela. Her name is Teela," Sorceress reluctantly replied.

Hammond nodded. They knew of her from the information the Sorceress had provided about the people and cultures of Eternia. "Is Teela as formidable a commander as she displayed today?" General Hammond said. "If she is, we have a new threat to this castle."

"She is every bit as capable as the colonel, but she is no threat to us."

Colonel Markson disagreed. "Oh, she looked pretty dangerous to me."

"She has done what she has to in order to survive, and to allow as many others as possible to survive." Markson and Hammond looked unconvinced. More importantly, they wanted to know how she knew that. "She came to me the night before King Hiss planned to have me killed."

Colonel Markson scoffed at that. "I'll bet she was real impressed. Impressed enough to bid farewell."

"She wanted to see if it was true that I had returned. King Hiss and the Horde have pretty much stamped out all pockets of resistance. I think some still remain here on Eternia. I got that impression when we talked," Sorceress explained at length.

"I could be the impression she wanted you to have," Hammond countered. "I don't see any reason to think she would be a part of any continued resistance."

"I know her, general. I know how she thinks and acts. I know the morality has not been driven out of her despite being married to the monster that now rules this planet."

Jo-jo shivered at the thought of some poor woman married to King Hiss even if it was only to help save lives. She could not fathom the depths one would have to sink to in order to subjugate one's self to a creature like that. On the flip side, there were tangible indications that many lives had been saved by the arrangement.

"So because of this past affiliation with the Royal Guard you felt it was enough justification to interfere with Colonel Markson when he had the shot?" General Hammond asked pointedly.

"No," Sorceress whispered.

"Is if because she's a woman?" the colonel added bluntly, bristling with irritation.

"No."

"Then what? What makes her so special that you had to step in?"

"That's personal," Sorceress said. That's all she could think to say. He-man and Duncan had known this secret. Could she trust these people with it? Obviously, Teela had not compromised it, and she had had years to decide just how to reveal, if that had been her intention.

"Sorceress, I can't allow you to participate in any future missions unless I know where your loyalties lie. I realize this is your homeworld, but you are now a part of the Guardian Force. I have to be sure of each and every person in my command. Especially one who commands a suit of armor as powerful as yours." General Hammond had no trouble getting his point across. His fears were justified by her actions. He was in an awkward position as much as she now was.

"She's the enemy!" Colonel Markson snapped.

"She's my _daughter!_" Sorceress snapped back without thinking.

All three were stunned. Colonel Markson was rarely left speechless, but this was one of those times. Of all the reasons the Sorceress could possibly have had for saving Teela from the colonel's bullet, this was the absolute last one anyone would have expected.

"Does that amaze you all so much that I would have found to time for a family?" Sorceress continued when she had calmed down. "It happened somewhat by accident, but not an unwelcome one. Skeletor's evil had not risen in the land yet so I left Castle Grayskull to explore a world which had changed so much since I first took over as the castle's guardian. I met a man in the Royal guard. He was a decent, loving man who loved family as much as he loved serving the king. I was pregnant with Teela when he went off to fight the Horde's first major invasion, though neither of us knew it at the time."

The Sorceress paused to clamp down on her grief. She had come to terms with the loss of her husband thanks in large part to his spirit, which was now beyond the veil of this life. "I was devastated when he did not return, but he won the day. Later, when I gave birth to Teela, I came to realize our blood relation would be a danger to both of us. Our enemies would use that against us so I made the decision that her identity be kept secret." They knew the rest of how Duncan had raised Teela as his own daughter. Now they knew why, though no one had ever thought to ask about Duncan's wife, which of course, there had never been one.

Colonel Markson argued that the Sorceress was now compromised, but she resisted the idea on the grounds that Teela had plenty of time to reveal their relationship. Jo-jo added that such a revelation would likely make Teela's life forfeit in the eyes of King Hiss. General Hammond listened to all the arguments, weighed the facts, and decided it was worth the risk to leave things as they were to see what happened.

For now.

Palace Eternia

King Hiss had been taken to his private chambers to recover from the beating the Sorceress and dealt him. No one could remember him ever suffering a defeat like that. Not even He-man had been able to so thoroughly thrash the leader of the Snake Men. Everyone not born a serpent was well advised to keep away from the snakes until their leader was recovered and repressing the land once more.

It was more than a day before the minions who once swore loyalty to Skeletor noticed they were short one member. Tri-Klops, Beast Man, Clawful, Two Bad, and Trap jaw searched for the better part of a day trying in vain to find Evil-lyn. No one could remember seeing her after she snuck into Castle Grayskull behind King Hiss. Tri-Klops thought she might still be hiding somewhere inside the castle, but if that were the case, they would have heard something by now.

The other possibility was that Evil-lyn might have been captured. That was certainly possible given the amount of enemy troops and their allies in the area. It would have been close to impossible for Evil-lyn to escape if she was unable to use her magic. The only other alternative was she managed to get to one of the access points to the powerful magic stored deep inside the castle and was killed before she could secure it.

None of Skeletor's former minions shed a single tear for Evil-lyn. They had despised her as much as she did them. Having her out of the way meant one less obstacle to King Hiss' favor. Thus, the search was called off after nearly twelve hours.

Teela spent the majority of the past two days sequestered in her quarters. She had barely escaped the blast radius when the mobile canon's fusion reactor breached. Amazingly, there had been little damage to the landscape. Now that she had time to think about the events more clearly, Teela concluded her mother must have absorbed the massive, uncontrolled energy release. Where all that raw power went was anyone's guess, but judging by the increased defensive power of the castle's magical shields later in the battle, one didn't need to be a genius to figure out how that had happened.

And then there was the problem of her mother seemingly returned from the grave. No contact in over seven years and suddenly she is back with no explanation as to where she had been. Not that Teela had given the Sorceress a chance to explain, of course. Her return complicated matters greatly. Would the Sorceress return to her post as guardian of Castle Grayskull? Or would she remain with her new friends and leave to the castle undefended?

"Castle Grayskull now has the power to protect itself," the spirit of Grayskull replied, materializing before the warrior woman. The red-tinged head was a familiar sight to Teela; one she had not seen in years. "I have your mother to thank for that."

"Yes. She's a real saint," Teela muttered.

The anger Teela had felt all those years ago when confronting the Oracle of the Crystal Sea about the identity of her mother flared like a star going nova. She had been angry and bitter for weeks afterward. Growing up under Duncan's tutelage to become the best warrior the Royal Guard ever had was quite an accomplishment, tempered against growing up without a mother. Eventually, Teela came to realize it must have been just as hard on the Sorceress, if not more so, to watch her daughter grow up and not be a part of that.

"Try not to be too hard on her, Teela," Spirit replied, soothingly. "She has had a rough time, also. And I discovered something else while she was rejuvenating in the Pool of Power."

Teela addressed the apparition directly for the first time. "What?"

"There is a hole in her mind. Where there should be memories of what happened when the _Eternia_ left Planet Primus there is only a black void. I tried to probe that area of her memory and was violently repelled by some force I've never experienced before." The Spirit explained.

Teela nodded. "He-man refused to say what happened. Even Skeletor was unusually quiet on the subject." She paused considering the information, and then asked, "Does she know?"

"She suspects something isn't right. At the moment she figures it is just a repression due to the travel though the time/space corridor, which was not a smooth one. Sooner or later the Sorceress is going to attempt to access those hidden memories," the Spirit answered in a neutral tone.

"And?" Teela prodded.

"I don't know what will happen. It all depends on who put the block there and how badly those memories need to be hidden."

Teela hung her head, whispering, "She needs to know."

"Not now. Not yet. The results would most likely be – unpleasant."

That the Spirit knew something was obvious to Teela. Some bit of knowledge even more dangerous than her relationship with the Sorceress being made public. One thing was certain. Things had just gotten a lot more dangerous for Teela than she would ever have imagined.

Guardian Command

Area 51, Earth

13 June 2017

As soon as the information was decoded, General Hammond called an emergency conference. _Eternia_ was just starting her return trip and wasn't due to arrive for another day or two. Traveling through time/space portals definitely had its advantages.

The entire crew was present for a full house. Colonel Markson, the six Guardians, Gabe Burns, and Nick Jackson took all the seats around the massive conference table. The general sat at the head of the table while Catherine O'Rourke and Andre Wardman worked feverishly at the other end to get the holographic display working. The technology was still new and had a few teething problems.

Colonel Markson cracked his usual jokes while Jake and Jeromy argued over who had the highest number of kills in the Battle for Castle Grayskull. Dhalon had boasted a pretty impressive number, which Corporal Frost pounced on with a higher number. Snipers weren't known for boasting, but when it came to capping off robots, anything was possible. Naturally, there were going to be limits set on any future competition.

The Sorceress remained unusually quiet while waiting for the presentation to begin. Her friends figured it was just fallout from the mission to Planet Eternia. She had been through a lot, like the others, but there seemed to be more going on. Everyone respected her privacy, though. She would talk when she wanted or needed to.

"Almost got it, general," Catherine replied. She hooked up several more electrical connectors while Andre checked the power pack one more time.

"I'm going to miss my date with a lake in Montana, if you two don't hurry it up," Colonel Markson teased, looking and sounding totally serious.

Finally, the holographic system started up. The projector sitting in the center of the table came to life displaying a globe of stars in the air at about eye level for a person standing up. A set of six stars brightened more than those around it indicating – something.

"What are we looking at?" General Hammond inquired, leaving the discussion open for anyone to speak up.

Gabe leaned forward in his seat, mouth dropping open slightly and eyes widening considerably. He pulled the mission report closer, opened the folder, and began flipping through the pages.

"What is it?" Nike asked. He vaguely remembered what the significance of the stars was, but could not recall their meaning.

"Here it is," Gabe said, locating the page he sought. "According to the analysis by Blain Robards, those are pulsar readings with gravimetric lightyear measurements." He looked up, finishing, "Spacial co-ordinates."

"Come again?" Colonel Markson said immediately.

"They are celestial bodies used to locate an object in space. Think of it as a box in space. You use a point on each side, draw a line to the center of the box, and you have the target location. In this case, the target is a planet apparently deep in Horde space," Gabe explained. "One whose location is supposed to be a secret."

General Hammond finally caught up. "Is this the planet we were trying to get information on?"

Gabe nodded. "Looks like King Hiss doesn't always follow Horde Prime's directives. This – "he gestured to the holographic map, "– is the location of the penal planet called Hel. Named for its unpredictable climate, among other things."

"Well, looks to me like we have our next mission," Jake said, bubbling with enthusiasm.

"Let's not get carried away here," Nick cautioned. "While we have the co-ordinates for the planet, we have no idea how deep into Horde space a ship would have to go."

General Hammond nodded his agreement. "I agree. We need more information about that sector, defenses, observation posts; anything that could end a mission real quick."

"I know someone who might be able to help," Adrian said quietly.

At the general's gesture to proceed, Adrian explained that Anyssa was of the Val-kyrie race. Colonel Markson attested to her battle skills in his report, so there was no question that she was even without her eventual admission. If anyone had any knowledge of Horde defenses and fleet movements in any sector of Horde space, the warrior race would have it. It was a long shot, but one Hammond was inclined to go with.

General Hammond asked the Sorceress to create a portal back to Castle Grayskull where Anyssa and Dhalon waited patiently. They had not been invited to Earth just yet because the base wasn't quit ready for it. Hammond personally assured them it wouldn't be long before they would be allowed to fulfill their pledge to join the Guardian force.

With nothing further to be added to the discussion, Hammond dismissed the group. Everyone filed out except Colonel Markson.

"You know that's going to be our next mission whether you want to admit it or not," Jon said.

"I know, Colonel. I just want to be sure you all come back alive. We've lost quite a few people already in only two missions. A mission to the Horde prison planet will be your most dangerous one yet," Hammond explained. "Doing the impossible is what will land this planet at the top of Horde Prime's hit list before we're ready, if we aren't careful."

Colonel Markson nodded, and left to keep his appointment with a little lake in Montana.


	22. Glossary

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Guardians

Adrian Cobretti – War Wing armor (American) (Weapon: plasma canon, beam sabers)

Sonya Broradni – Hawk armor (Russian) (Weapon: beam spear naginato-do)

Jake Rockwell – Gatling Arm armor (American) (Weapon: twin barrel gatling canon, vibro blade)

Brad Johnson – Claw armor (German) (Weapon: twin vibro scimitars)

Jeromy Ironwood – Blitzkrieg armor (British) (Weapon: 2 laser rifles)

Sorceress of Grayskull – Falcon armor (Eternian) (Weapon: enhanced magic, falcon staff, psionic lance)

STARSHIP ETERNIA

Colonel Jo-jo Majourny – captain

Lt. Conner 'Ace' McCloud – helmsman

Ensign Comorov – navigation

Lt. Novina Satori – science specialist

Lt. Alexandra Callahan – computer systems specialist

Lt Harvey 'Harley' Denton – tactical specialist

Lt. Rodney Santana – chief engineer

Lt. Commander Emilio Carter – chief medical officer

Guardian Command

Brigadier General Eugene 'Mean Gene' Hammond – commander

Nicholas 'Nick' Jackson – Research and Development Division Chief

Gabriel 'Gabe' Burns – Research and Development Section Leader

Blain Robards – Chief Scientific Research Specialist

Doctor Susan Blanchard – Guardian Command Chief Surgeon

Colonel Jonathon Markson – Guardian Force commander, Alpha Platoon commander

Captain Hohiro Takamora – Charlie Platoon commander

Lieutenant Thomas Garber – Beta Platoon commander

Lieutenant Kent Howard – Delta Platoon commander

Sergeant Apone – Alpha Platoon

Corporal Antone Frost – Alpha Platoon sniper

Corporal Ferdinant Dietrich – Beta Platoon sniper

Private Naomi Rider – Tracker, linguist

Private Catherine O'Rourke – computer specialist

Lieutenant Alexis Feril – dropship pilot

Lieutenant Gerrod Gambini – dropship pilot

Allies

Lord Dactus – Speleans

Ceratus – Caligars

Queen Elmora – Phantos

King Anonda and Queen Semata – Arcadia

Stratos and Lady Hawk (Delora) – Avion

Buzz-off – Andreenos

King Carnivous – Quaedia

Oracle of the Crystal Sea

Granamyr – Dark Smoke Mountain

Enemies

Horde Forces

Horde Prime – Ruler of the Horde Empire

Hordak – ruler of Etheria

King Hiss – Ruler of the Snake Men and Eternia

General Rongar – Commander, Horde 5th Fleet

Sagan – Rongar's chief scientist

Snake Men

King Hiss

General Rattlor

Kobra Khan

Tung Lashor

Snake Face

Tanglor

Squeeze

Neutrals

Skeletor – ruler of Snake Mountain

Krytta – Skeletor's lover

Lady Moria Vadorian - Fourteenth Monarch of the Dereskígía


End file.
